SOS
by Kurikara
Summary: When Ino wrote an insulting letter, Sasuke received it by accident. To escape his wrath before he discovers she was the anonymous sender, Ino pretends to be headoverheels in love to him and tries to win his heart among all girls.
1. Anonymous letter sender

**SOS**

Summary: When Ino wrote an insulting letter for her cheating boyfriend, the number one bishounen of the campus Uchiha Sasuke, received it by accident and immediately declared war. To escape Sasuke's wrath before he discovers she was the anonymous sender, Ino pretends head-over-heels in love to him and tries to win his heart.

Author's Note: It really saddens me everytime I read a great Ino-story but is not given fair attention (and to think there are lots of Sakura-mushy-stories around with over 100 reviews, hell). I was motivated by those Ino-writers who didn't mind if they only get 10 feedbacks. It SUCKS that every bishie is paired to Sakura when Ino is more beautiful. I mean, what's with Sakura compared to Ino except the enormous forehead. I didn't write this to bash Sakura nor to be flamed. Anyway, I do love receiving flames with all my heart.

Genre: Humor/Romance though humor alone would be more appropriate. I could write romance but I think it would take you ten forevers before you actually realize I'm writing a romance.

* * *

**Chapter I**

"Damn it! Let go of me!"

With that kind of boisterous voice, I knew exactly who the approaching student was and in less than 30 seconds my prediction was proved right. The school guard entered the detention office and pushed inside a blond boy.

Hell, I muttered under my breath. First I was forced to run like a moron but still ended up late. Then much to my anticipation, I was scolded face-to-face (since I was so lucky to be the only late student today) by Baki-sensei, the executioner of all late students. And I gotta tell you Baki-sensei isn't a great sight in the morning, he makes me pee for an unknown reason.

At least the detention I received from it was tolerable. But to spend it with the number one noisiest student of Konoha High? Oh, Kami, what's wrong with you today suddenly making a jinx out of me.

Uzumaki Naruto retreated to a sit near me. And though I hate him because he always aggravates noise pollution, I didn't shoo him away. A cousin was still a cousin. But as I had expected, when he turned to me, he instantly began talking. Gracious heaven, it was as if his mouth has a life of its own.

Naruto tsk-tsked and dramatically cast a sympathizing look "You just smeared your record. What did you do?" Something I really hate about him is that when he's really concerned, he looked and eventually also sounded all the same as when he's sarcastic. What a natural-born prankster.

"I was late. Nothing more than your crazy antics that earned you another detention" I said.

"Don't classify something heroic like that"

"Heroic?" I almost choked on that "You consider 'pissing Uchiha Sasuke' heroic. I say it's hilarious"

"I'm just trying to borrow his homework. What's wrong with that?" Naruto defended immediately.

"Because there are over 500 freshmen here and you just tried to borrow from your self-proclaimed rival?" I remarked "Know what? Your stupidity can't be fathomed"

Much to my surprise, Naruto just laughed "If I'm stupid then Sasuke's way stupider than me" Pulling out something from his bag, he revealed Sasuke's notebook. He laughed again in triumph. Thankfully, we were the only students in the detention office and the teacher supposedly watching over us was out the room for daily gossips.

"If that Uchiha discovers you stole it, you'll be suspended" I said what was supposed to be said, not that I really care.

Naruto grinned, "He wouldn't. Believe me"

"Well, what if someone questions your homework?"

"Then I'll tell, my ever caring cousin deliberately made me copy her work" He smiled. That was reasonable after all. Even if Naruto belongs to the last section and me to the second section, we have the same questions for our homework. That is because Algebra is held by Kakashi who is so damn lazy that he gives same assignment in all his classes.

As Naruto began copying Sasuke's homework though, something as vivid as lighting struck me. My sudden recall of it made me involuntarily jerked up that Naruto immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

-

The resonant sound of bell echoed throughout the campus signaling another end of hour. It also means detention time had ended. As the bell continued to ring, I hastened my writing.

"Who's benefiting from my heroic act now?" Naruto smiled sheepishly rubbing the fact that I'm bound to accept his act was indeed heroic to show some gratitude. And as if enjoying my blatant defeat, he added "How come a nerd like you forgot an assignment?"

NERD!

If Kami had spared me a second, I would have given Naruto one of my dagger stares. I'm not a nerd! I only spent 3 hours in study... okay, maybe three and half hours. But I'm naturally intelligent! I would have rationalized this offense had I not been under time pressure.

"It slipped from my mind" was my excuse. I couldn't possibly tell him that I prioritized making a letter over doing homework. The same reason I woke up late since I already had slept 1 in the morning. As I think more of the letter, the picture of my cheating boyfriend suddenly occupied my thoughts. Envy and anger overwhelmed me that I unconsciously broke my pen.

"I-Ino, are you alright?" Naruto asked perceiving fires on me.

Finally, I broke from the thoughts of torturing my boyfriend and returned to the reality where I found my cousin staring at me, dumbstruck. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine" I said then laughed sheepishly "I gotta go" It was the only thing I can say to escape from his further inquisition.

Naruto stared at my departing figure still puzzled. When he was about to leave the room too, he though noticed something on the floor.

* * *

Hinata laughed softly as I finished telling the whole incident that morning. Lunch time was about to end and many students were returning back to their respected rooms. As we walked along the crowded hallway, Hinata turned to me and asked with reluctance, "What about Suigetsu?" 

Concealing my envy, I replied coolly "That cheater was strolling in the mall with a girl. And they were so close I knew they'll gonna kiss next so I ran before I could witness more from their affair"

As I told Hinata more details of the scene, my gaze suddenly locked outside the window. Under the shade of a tree rest a clique which includes some freshmen from the top section; Aburame Shino, Hyuga Neji, Sabaku Gaara and the most popular student in Konoha High, Uchiha Sasuke.

I stopped on my tracks and went closer to the window. While his other three friends somewhat enjoyed the scenery of campus ground, Uchiha Sasuke lie on the grassy ground taking a nap. When he woke up and yawned, the MANY girls around them giggled. When he rubbed his eyes, girls giggled more. Every single movement from him caused the crowd of females to flatter. One student emerged out from the female crowd. With that long jet black hair, I immediately distinguished her as one of the socialite girls in sophomore.

Kin and Sasuke talked for a moment then Sasuke stood up. Though he was only a first-year student, he stood higher than Kin. So it would be unquestionable that when he pulled her body near his, he had the full control. Anyway, the next event was greatly anticipated by Kin so it didn't really matter.

First, there were only whispers and bites. A chaste kiss followed until it became passionate enough, the next thing happening was torrid scenes of rampant actions. I was impressed. Under a tree was the most private place they could get.

That time I realized Uchiha Sasuke was everything I hate. A Casanova. A certified—

"Cheater," The word run bitterly in my tongue "Let's go, Hinata"

-

The hands of the clock told two forty-eight. Less than fifteen minutes before this hell ended.

Research II is one of my favorite subjects. Why? Because we always take that class in the library and the fact that the library is the coldest spot in the campus is one good reason for me to love it. Today though, as I sat in one of the long tables in the library with a biology book in my hands for some research to do, I realized there are days when I should consider it an UN-likable class. Exemptions are when you are forced to have Research class with other section.

I sighed and pretended to read the book but actually was watching around. A group of girls on my side were constantly whispering on each other's ears while drooling over, yes you know it, Sasuke. Because as luck would have it, the other section turned out to be the top section where he belong.

Uchiha Sasuke, who sat three tables away from me, was talking on his phone ignoring the warning glimpse he had received from the teacher. But when Asuma-sensei hinted for the third time around, he had enough.

"Uchiha!" Despite the spacious area of the library, Asuma's voice ran resonant calling everyone's attention. In a second that followed, all eyes flew at the said bishounen. The girls on my side quoted 'poor Sasuke caught by that mean Asuma'. Stupid girls. If they knew what virtue means then they should have known Sasuke's more worth to be called ''mean'.

"If I was Asuma-sensei I would have ordered that Uchiha outside." I whispered on Hinata who sat beside me and simply smiled. He's so full of hot air that he amazingly irritated me.

"See you in the locker. I gotta hung" Sasuke said loudly annoying the teacher more before he actually hung up his phone. He stood up and walked across the library. Much to everyone's expectation, Sasuke willingly surrendered his phone to Asuma-sensei throwing in amazement all of us "Excuse me for the interruption. I'll go to the detention office now" An evident smile was plastered on Sasuke's face as he trudged out of the library leaving the sensei insulted.

If Sasuke wasn't just a son of a billionare CEO. Surely, inequality of life was manifested perfectly in his very being.

-

"Ouch!" Haruno Sakura snapped as she hit the locker with a loud thud. Sasuke didn't mind her plea neither his vehement actions. Instead, he pushed her body more against the metal lockers and kissed with a bruising force.

As usual, in every fucking session of Sasuke, a crowd always formed around. Definitely, he loves being publicized. "I got detention because of you" he said between kisses.

"At least close your locker before doing that" Neji commented. Sasuke ignored him.

He slipped his hand under Sakura's skirt and surprised, Sakura hit the locker again shaking the shelves greatly. Haruno Sakura bent in an awful ache, the pain finally ending their intercourse. Sasuke smiled, satisfied. When Sasuke bent down, Sakura thought he'll help her up but to her dismay he picked up the notebook which fell down from his locker. He placed back his notebook and closed his locker.

Sasuke felt someone touch his shoulder. When he turned around, he first saw that distinguishable auburn hair "It fell from your notes" Gaara said impassively emphasizing the letter in his hand.

Sasuke laughed "Another love letter" He really didn't care "Just throw it" he said.

"It seems interesting" Gaara commented while reading the letter.

Sasuke just smirked and went on his way. Hyuga Neji and the rest of the group followed him except Gaara who was left with the note.

Interesting, on Gaara's own vocabulary, means peculiar. So Shino Aburame shared the same interest to read the letter and was left behind with the red-haired lad.

Minutes later, Shino let out a laughing sound which made all eyes turn back to him. Because as everyone knew, it is odd for Shino to smirk, moreover laugh.

Sasuke turned around and walking back to them, he yanked the letter from Shino and read:

_For a self-proclaimed elite like you,_

_You asshole. You think you're cool? You fucking sucks, rub that fact on your stinking face. If you're rich, why don't you buy a comb so you can fix your goddamn stiff hair? I mean, you look like a hobo with that hairdo. And if you know what proper hygiene means, why have bubonic plagues growing under your armpit. I advise you to acquaint yourself in the world of Deodorants. You're a total gross!_ _Spare some female life. And also if you think cheating on other girls while having a LEGAL girlfriend is cool, well it's UNCOOL! Especially to cheat on someone as exceptionally beautiful as me? So go fuck some devil. Remember this day coz I'm dumping you, jerk!_

_P.S: I wish you'll drop dead after reading this. Cheaters like you aren't worth my time_

_Last P.S: Call me so we can fix our separation._

_Last, Last P.S: FUCK YOU! _

Uchiha Sasuke fell into a dead silence.

_-_

I pulled another notebook from my locker and checked every leaves. Not here either.

Where the hell did I put that? I pulled out another notebook... then another one... and another one until I have eventually piled all my things out of my locker not minding that they blocked part of the hallway.

Someone tapped me from behind. When I turned around, Hinata was there with my things in her arms "Of all the time, why did you decide to clean your locker during dismissal?"

"I'm not cleaning it" I said as I took my things from her and dumped them back on my locker "I'm looking for a letter" I told Hinata, who looked confused as I continued searching through my unorganized things "Remember I told you I was late and don't have my homework because I did a letter for Suigetsu last night?"

Where is it? I flipped on the pages of my notebooks again. Where did I put that? I tried to think more.

Think.

Think.

Think.

Thi— I almost jumped out from my spot upon feeling a sudden vibration. Flipping open my phone, I greeted to the caller "Hel—?"

"WHO THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU?"

I was shocked by the violent attack of words by a total stranger. But what was more shocking was that something was vaguely strange. Odd, but I somewhat heard his words twice.

...his words twice

...words twice

...twice

Then it hit me.

As if by intuition, I turned sideways specifically 50 degrees east of north. Thirty lockers away from me, a crowd formed with Uchiha Sasuke in the center and he was... he was...— he was holding a GODDAMN PHONE!

Oh, God.


	2. Anxiety buildup

**SOS**

**A/N:** I was predicting no more than five reviews when I saw I got— dun dun Dun DUN— SEVEN REVIEWS! Isn't that great? Isn't that amazing? THANK YOU (123.25x) for all the reviews!!!

**II.**

The horoscope today was right. Phones would be a bad omen for me.

I immediately hung up and turned away. But luckless as I was today, I accidentally hit the open door of the locker beside mine. The owner of the said locker was talking to his phone when he stared down at me angrily. And though Akado Yoroi wasn't as arrogant as Uchiha Sasuke, he belongs to a fraternity of vicious students to be feared that I instantly apologized.

And yes, the horoscope was once again right in predicting my destiny today.

"Are you blind or what!" Yoroi said heatedly, "You've just messed my call—! Hey, stop there!"

I was already running away from there that the last clear word I heard from Yoroi was 'shit'. I have a bigger thing to deal with than to stand there and soothe his fury.

-

"WHAT! TO UCHIHA SASUKE!" Hinata and I immediately gestured Tenten in silence. "Sorry," Tenten apologized. Luckily, the bakeshop was free from any unwanted schoolmates "But how?"

"I think it fell when I was in detention" I paused thinking "I'm not sure but Naruto might have thought it slid from Sasuke's notebook and so... oh, hell, what if that was the very scene that happened!"

Tenten resumed slurping her drink then asked "Well, if Sasuke didn't know it was you, how'd he managed to call you?"

Silence. "Actually, I wrote my number at the bottom" I said awkwardly.

Hinata turned to me, "Why do you have to do that, Ino-chan? Suigetsu already knows your number"

Silence again. "Uhm, I have this new number"

Tenten laughed, she almost choked in happiness "Are you stupid? You think Suigetsu wouldn't know it came from you just because you got a different number?"

I always knew Tenten had a great potential to be a psychologist. Sometimes when we talk, she actually got this amazing talent to make me feel like I'm the most stupid person out of trillion people. At times like this do I feel the necessity of banging my head against a wall. "I didn't call you up to remind me how stupid I am! In case you're forgetting, you're here to help me" I said.

"I think you should just apologize" Hinata said.

"Believe me. Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't accept an apology. I suggest you do something to calm his anger" Tenten said.

"And do you have any idea what this 'something' could probably be?" I raised a brow.

Tenten smiled.

* * *

I don't feel like waking up today. Actually, I don't feel like waking up again. I always thought I was born lucky but now my perception had changed. When I arrived at school, there was something in the ambience that tells me today wouldn't be a great day. Of course, I knew why.

Just this morning, I made up my mind. I'll apologize to Sasuke as soon as I see him though deep inside, I wished 'the soonest I see him' would be two geological years from now. I realized an apology (though I don't know where it would lead me) would be better than to comply with Tenten's wild idea.

Many students have already littered the hallway; the locker area as I have always expected was crowded as ever. As I entered the lock code and opened my locker, I was surprised at how messy things were inside. Yeah, vestige of yesterday's chain curses. I pulled out some books and thought of other necessary things to get. Much to my dismay, my thoughts were still in chaos that I found my mind processing very slow.

Then suddenly, a very diabolic presence pricked every part of my skin that my back awkwardly straightened up. Without any doubt, I knew exactly who it was. Only one word ran like amok in my head.

Fuck.

"Hey, you" Behind the coolness of his voice do I perceive fury. With only those two words, I already felt his overflowing wrath.

God, what was I to do? My alter ego screamed. My blood was running. I was seeing roller coaster go wild in my sight. Still, I don't have the courage to turn around and face him.

_Just say a goddamn sorry._

But before I could do or say something, there was a loud 'thud' that diverged my attention.

When I turned to my side to see what it was, I saw Yoroi on the floor. Uchiha Sasuke gave him a hard blow on the stomach sending him reeling against the locker which produced the loud sound.

Sasuke picked him up by the collar "You were talking in your phone here yesterday in your locker, weren't you?" Yoroi muttered a 'yeah', alarm obvious in his tone. I swallowed hard again. A big crowd had already formed around before I even knew it. And here I was beside them, staring in puzzlement.

"Who were you talking with, huh?"

"It was only my girlfriend, Sasuke"

Sasuke smirked before he gave him another blow over his face sending him back to the floor, "You got some guts to send me that letter. Now you play innocent" He spilled in anger. Sasuke then began kicking him.

It was funny to think that yesterday I feared Yoroi, now I pitied him. At that moment, I realized what was happening. I wanted to run to him, wanted to stop Sasuke. Guilt drowned me. I should be the one there on the floor. I should be the one whom everyone was staring at and sympathizing.

But something restrained me inside. I was afraid of the consequence if I decided to be a saint now.

The next thing I knew, teachers were dragging the violent Uchiha away. My last sight of the once feared frat leader, Akado Yoroi, was bleeding in pain and was left with battered body. I heard he dropped out from school the day after the incident. Later I realized that Uchiha used influence and money to sort things in school and to the Akado family.

-

"Ino-chan, are you okay?"

Definitely no. But I flashed the biggest smile showing my canines to hide the fact that I'm as desperate as a widow left with fifteen children. Grabbing back my senses that I lost since that incident in the locker area that morning, I moaned a "Ya," to Hinata.

"Well, you don't look okay" Tenten, who sat on my other side, said matter-of-factly "You look like you'll collapse any moment"

It was hard to believe that six months ago, what Tenten had just described was the very description of her. That was our first day in freshman. Back then, Tenten look like she'll collapse any moment. When she asked me for an advice to calm herself, I told her "Close your eyes, pray and jump out the window" I received a piercing glare as a reply from her.

Tenten said she had a reason to feel small, uneasy and... well, small on her seat.

Konoha High is an exclusive school for extremely rich and well-known families and that it gave her the creeps to think that for the next years she have to sit with bunch of snobbish, spoiled and stuck-up teens. When I asked her why she then entered Konoha High when she had this inferiority complex, she simply dropped the question and instead, asked me if I know Hyuga Neji. I told her I don't have the slightest idea who he was.

Tenten said Hyuga Neji's family is a long chain of prestigious lawyers and that blah... blah... blah... I was on the verge of exclaiming "I don't give a damn" had she not been a close friend. My patience was really tested when after that she then shared her knowledge of Sabaku Gaara whose father belong to the circle of advisers of the country's prime minister.

Tenten informed me that I was close to being ignorant if I didn't know who Haruno Sakura is. I paused, and then said "Who the fuck is she?"

Tenten sighed.

Haruno Sakura is a covergirl of a famous teen magazine which I obviously don't know. She's very much aware of her beauty that she naturally sticks to her one-week-term-dump-the–boy relationship. Anyway guys weren't moved by that fact because suitors still came flooding at her feet. Tenten also told me that when she heard about Sakura's biography, she was so surprised of her high-profile life. But characteristically, I wasn't the bit surprised and to tell you the truth, I was more shocked when I realized later that Haruno Sakura had no connection to E.T and that her hair was naturally pink.

Uchiha Sasuke back then is unknown to everyone because he entered school late since his family is originally based in America. But when he arrived in Konoha High, he immediately became the most popular student.

A week crawled and Tenten's inferiority complex slowly passed on especially when we met another Hyuga. Even if Hinata had the more rights to be arrogant since she came from the main branch of her family, she is the very opposite of her cousin Neji who in turn is really one damn bastard and thinks the world only revolves around him and his superbrain books. Hinata is cheerful though extremely shy at certain conditions and these conditions include another student, my cousin Uzumaki Naruto.

Why am I even telling past events? I yawned and patted my lips. Looking at my watch, I realized my Algebra teacher was approximately twenty minutes late.

Hatake Kakashi, tall with bleached hair, seemed too young to be a teacher. He was good-looking, as my classmates observed, with broad shoulders, as I have personally noted, and half-lid dark eyes. And hell, when he spoke, it was with a nonsense manner. Also, he's the worst when talking about time.

Suddenly, footsteps vibrated outside the room and at the hint of our coming teacher, everyone jumped to their respective seats (save for us three who already sat on our chairs). Hundred years later, the goddamn teacher was finally coming.

Unfortunately, my prediction was wrong.

All eyes opened wider as he made his first step in the room. His second step incredibly made everyone fell in a dead stunned silence. Uchiha Sasuke stopped in front of the room.

Momentarily, the unusual silence turned into what is known as the female uproar. There were some giggles and snickers and few loud remarks of pleasing compliments to catch his attention. Half of the class was mesmerized by Sasuke's visit, the other half puzzled by his reason of interrupting the class (though there was nothing to be interrupted in the fist place).

"I'm looking for someone" He said and indeed seemed to look around until— fuck— his eyes found me.

_Jesus Christ,_ I summoned. How I love to have a nervous breakdown.


	3. SOS

**SOS**

**III.**

"Who's Yamanaka?"

At that moment, all I wanted was to dissolve. I wanted to run screaming so that they'll think I've gone crazy. That way I could escape the situation.

Boy, were my knees shaking when I stood up "I'm Yamanaka Ino"

How could I describe my feeling then? Cobalt eyes pinned me on the wall, tantalizing me for few moments. Back then I've proved right what many girls say that such electrifying presence he only posses could make one stare.. I was in the midst of mental awe whether caused by his stunning prettiness or simply my pure anxiety when he approached me.

When he stopped in front of me, I care not if I looked like I was blanching in deficiency of oxygen. Much of my thought was whether I'll survive his interrogation or just end up dead on the spot.

"Do you know Yuroi?"

_Yurio? That man you turned into a punching bag? Hell of course I know him. _I didn't know what's the damn connection of that man was but all I know is that at that moment, I was more than happy to know such bastard is my acquaintance. Though I knew the man by heart, I found myself replying in reluctance. "Yeah, I think so"

"You should know him, his locker is just beside yours" He told me to carry back my memory two days ago; the scene, the locker area; the time, dismissal "Yuroi was calling did. Did you heard him over his phone?"

I stared at him. He thought I was pondering, but I wasn't. Inside my smile grew into a wide grin. And the next thing I wanted to do was to laugh my head off. By some empathy, I was now reading Sasuke's mind. Yuroi and I had been calling almost on the same time over the same place back then. And Sasuke here whose family owns a telemarketing company appeared to have misleading information, which resulted to his earlier wrathful actions. And he still holds to that information that now he thinks I could be some witness to prove that Yuroi is indeed the man. Stupid bastard. I now wonder how he'll explode later if he realizes the very person he's talking with is the culprit.

I could hardly restrain myself from laughing in front of them so finally I told _Sasuke-kun_ that Yeah, I think I've heard Yuroi some time ago "And I believe that was the same time you received a certain letter, Sasuke-kun"

"You remembered some of his words?" One of Sasuke's companions asked. I remembered him as Hinata's cousin, Neji.

Boy, did I smile in front of them. I told them to just wait I need to laugh. Boy, did they think I've gone crazy when I laughed in front of them. Here was my chance to clear my name, but then I would be breaking my principle. I would be lying. I ceased to laugh.

"No. But I knew very well that he was having a fight with his girl because he says so when I interrupted him"

I felt like shrinking. Sasuke was again pinning me with his sharp eyes.

He tucked his hands inside the pockets of his pants then he looked coolly away from me "Let's go," I watched in complete silence as he and his company walked out the room.

* * *

The rest of my lunchtime was terrible. When I tried to eat, the sandwich got stuck on my throat and I ended up not eating anymore. When class resumed that afternoon, I was not the slightest listening to any lessons. And so it was no surprise that during Biology class that damn Kakashi tried to lick me off when he asked Yamanaka-san, how many testes does a female have? and quickly averting from the window, I replied two. You should see how the class burst into a gut laughing sound.. Oh hell, so much for reproductive organ.

Fortunately, no similar foolishness happened again that day though few teachers did point about my not concentrating on their class. So at history class I had my dismissal earlier than everyone when I told the teacher that I wasn't feeling well. Yamato-sensei was kind enough to accompany me outside the school and carry my bag but I told him No, I could manage myself, sensei. That ended the day… at least, that's what I thought

Had I just went home straight, had I not went in the comfort room first, I knew I would have escaped that devastating moment. But I was luckless and my day went darker and the rest of school year worse.

To the second we were both stepping out the comfort room– he from the male room just adjacent the female room where I was— I happened to look at him, as he happened to glimpse at me. I stopped. So did he.

I knew him. And even if he was in a crowd along with all the students, I could still recognize Sabaku Gaara.

Because he would neither blink nor talk and since my eyeballs were already itching, I finally spit out a "Hi," at him.

"Yamanaka Ino," he said as casual as hell "I know you did it"

I myself would love to see how I looked like back then. I mean blood would have been draining out my face or my eyes would have been protruding out its socket. Gaara turned back, walked away and left me alone and my mouth ajar.

* * *

"That's terrible, Ino. Maybe by tomorrow everyone in school would know it too. What will we do? Oh, what will you do?" Tenten said as we sat around a table inside a bakeshop near Hinata's house. She forked a bite size of her cake then continued talking hysterically.

"But haven't it crossed you that if Gaara knows it, Sasuke should know it too and if he knows it, he should be terrorizing you this very moment" Hinata said to me, her cake left untouched on the table.

I told her Yes, it should be like that. But Sasuke wasn't terrorizing me that very moment meaning he still doesn't know it. That damn Gaara's the only one who knows it.

"Maybe he wants to blackmail you. And only after that will he tell it to Sasuke making your life worse than worst" She finished her cake and I told her she was becoming a gourmand like Chouji every single day. "Ino, I'm your good friend and I suggest you do something before you lose time because there's no way in hell Sasuke would not know you wrote that letter"

During this time do I look high at Tenten. She was always open to positive and negative outlook of life. She usually sounds unsensical but words slipping her tongue were always a fact. I sighed and told them I just don't know what to do. I might as well approach Sasuke and apologize and be sorry. And he might as well kick me on the ass. And everyone in school might as well despise me because I insulted their Sasuke. And I might as well just drop out.

Hinata said it was stupid.

"I KNOW!" Everyone turned around us and I hushed Tenten and she sat back. She told us she just knows what to do. I saw a spark on her eyes. I told her No and just shut up,

"But Ino-kun, there's no harm in trying it" Hinata said adding confidence in Tenten's plan. She was now in accordance with her.

I told them have they not thought that it would be worse, much worse when I was in the midst of pretending when he realize I was the one who wrote the letter and he might just as easily realize I was just pretending too? He could have me not only kicked out but also murdered out in fury.

"That gives us the reason to set out our plan real soon"

I said I would never comply.

"And do you know Sasuke's birthday is next week?"

I said I don't give a damn.

"We could arrange something there, haven't it crossed you?"

I said it hasn't crossed me.

"Ino, you're stupid" Tenten said.

I said I certainly was

* * *

If you want to know the truth, I don't know how it happened or how it even began. But 96 hours later, I found myself sitting at the edge of my bed fully absorbed by the book _Uchiha Sasuke: The Life of a Bishounen Volume XII, Chapter III_. When Tenten first brought one of the volumes, the first thing I did is that I laughed out and the next thing I did is that I thought maybe someday I'll change the goddamn title into _Uchiha Sasuke: The Life of a Cephalized Metazoa._

Minutes later, someone entered the room. I didn't even notice it. I told you I was fully absorbed.

Tenten said my time is up. I folded my sleeves "Okay, bring it on"

Tenten showed a photo of a girl "Tell something about her"

She was Sasuke's 5th girlfriend. Theirs was a three-day long relationship. They make out in the first day, they never met on the second and on the third, he necked her in the public, kissed her on the public and dumped her on the public when he said that she was no good-kisser. That ended it.

"So what does Sasuke like in a girl?"

I told her according to what was written on Volume VI, Sasuke once said he likes witty, shy and untouched girls. But that was a lie and the only truth about that is the 'untouched' part. He actually likes loud and outrageous girls and on many occasions, he also breaks his principle that he likes virgin. Take for example Kin. He also likes fair-skinned, shorthaired girls.

"You've got everything right, Ino, except that Sasuke likes long-haired girls instead"

I told her she was wrong. Girls like Sakura, Kin and Temari thinks so though because Sakura said so when she misunderstood Sasuke's statement when he said he likes her long hair when actually what he meant in saying so is that long hair suits her enormous forehead. But once, only once, did Sasuke said in full tone of seriousness that he'd rather take a shorthaired girl because long hairs always ruin his necking and kissing. So much for a maniac.

"Ino, I can't believe you mastered his life and profile!"

I dropped the book and sprawled over the bed. I hugged my pillow "I can't believe I'm doing this"

Tenten was staring. "What?" I snapped at her.

"You did follow my directions" I told her I did follow every single thing she said which includes me sneaking my brother's conditioner which he use to make his hair sleek. I did spend a lot of effort in getting that and I now wonder what my brother will do if he finds it out "Maybe I'll return it first before he arrives"

I told Tenten my brother had been coming home lately, busy with his girlfriend.

"I think I'll go now. It's getting late" I yawned and accompanied her.

* * *

"You're back awfully early" I said as I occupied a seat near him, a glass of milk on my hand. He was still wearing school uniform while eating his dinner. It was past 11-o-clock.

I asked him where he took his girl. He said it was none of my business and shooed me away. I earned a glared from him when I said Oh, hell.

"Do you know Sasuke's celebrating his birthday this week?"

He said Yeah, so what?

"Everyone in school is coming, are you?" I wanted to know if he would be there. I don't want him though because it would ruin our plans.

Ha said he may, he may not "Look, why the hell are you keep on asking, hn?" he said because I was disturbing him and his dietary affair which include eating his all-time favorite fish tofu in oyster sauce.

"Well, do you think Sasuke would like a girl like me?" I asked because if you want to know the truth, his answer is always the opposite of what will happen. I swear it always was.

He stared at me for a minute. He thought I had gone crazy. He knows I hate Sasuke as he hates his gut too "Definitely no," I could almost kiss his feet when he said that. I said he was damn right; Sasuke will never ever fall for a girl like me. Then I stood up and went straight to sleep.

When morning came, I did my usual routine. The day passed with no major mishap. That night we went to mall to look for the dress I would wear on the party. Somehow, I thought if I do everything right, things would go as planned. Rarely does it happen that I do something half-heartedly. I could take pretending to be in love with Sasuke for the sake of my future school year. I felt extremely noble for having remembered and remained noble for three days. Then Sasuke's birthday came and disaster struck

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh, I know it's been geological ages since I've last updated. I'm truly sorry. This chapter has too many typo and since I'm too lazy to check them out, I'll truly appreciate it if you did. I also used many words I really don't know the meaning. Flames are truly respected


	4. Some mix-up

**SOS**

**IV.**

What is more nauseating than a party where every single known bitch, every single dirty-looking varsity player, every single conceited I'm-so-high socialite kid in your school have gathered to form a union of bastards to rejoice for the 17th birthday of yet another goddamn bastard. Now that kills me.

A waiter was roaming on the poolside and I picked a glass from the tray he was carrying around. I emptied it in one gulp "Man, this taste awful!" The waiter stared at me. I didn't know what why the hell he was staring but he was terribly staring, I resisted stabbing his eye.

"You don't drink it straight, ma'am" He gave me one last unsatisfied look then went away shaking his head. The moron didn't even wait for me to return the glass. He just went away shaking his stupid head.

Anyway, my shoes were killing me so I decided to go to the lounging area where there was a relatively fewer people. I lounged there for around ten minutes, absorbing the grand place, when Hinata and Tenten came over. They looked perfect. I mean with those dresses and shoes, they looked pretty. I made a silent reconnaissance of myself. Well, maybe the best I could say about myself is that my nail polish looked great.

"Have you seen Sasuke?" Tenten asked silently as they sat beside me. We were really cautious. Just another one knowing our plan and we're dead.

"Nah, have you?" I said massaging my sore foot, "You know what, these heels kill me"

"Hey stop complaining!" Tenten said, "And I haven't seen him too"

I sighed and put back my sandals. There was a wall clock adjacent me and mentally, I computed that we had been looking around for the Uchiha for exactly two-hours, 26-minutes, eight-seconds exactly the same time we had arrived on the goddamn place. I was having the strange feeling that we had gone to a wrong party.

A waiter crossed the threshold and I approached him to inquire about the celebrant. He was awkward to answer but then he replied, his very words were that the celebrant was a certain 'handsome, somewhat brooding rich kid from the Uchiha family'. He missed the word 'bastard' but I let it slip for the time being. I asked if he had seen him— the Uchiha. He said the only time he had seen him was when he gave a short instruction to the service crew about how to entertain certain guest like Sakura-bitch. In short, he had not seen him during the party. I thanked him. When he left, I just realized he was the same waiter on the poolside.

"What did he said, Ino-kun?" Hinata asked when I returned. I told them.

"This is bad. No sign of Sasuke. No progress in the plan" Tenten looked devastated. We looked devastated.

I was nibbling a dessert which I got from another roaming waiter and said, "Oh is it that bad?" I was only joking but Tenten and Hinata practically gave me a stare. Boy, did it made my appetite gone. I dropped the dessert.

"Wherever Sasuke hid himself, we'll definitely seek him!" Tenten said with an outburst. I was simply tossing my hair "We'll split. I go there. You go there, Hinata. You go wherever you want, Ino" Tenten was in newfound spirit. Hinata was all in smile. I was all in sigh.

xxxxxxxxx.

I sighed. I know no amount of sighing could change things but one can't help but to sigh, can one?

"Okay!" I recollected whatever spirit was remaining within me. "I can't give up now or ever. Hey you, yes you wearing a lousy green shirt, have you seen Sasuke?" Too surprised to even answer a stranger like me, he shook his head "What about you, have you seen Sasuke?" I asked the couple beside the previous lad I asked. I received the same answer, which was shaking of head. I practically asked everyone in the room and in return, everyone was practically subconsciously asking who the hell I was. Sure, they don't know me. I was nothing but a commoner in our school. But after that day, it never occurred to me that the word _commoner _would never suit me again. Never.

Half an hour later, I was back on the chair I had sat on. Have I told you that no amount of sighing could change a thing yet once can't help do it? Hell, I might have sighed 10 tons of oxygen throughout my entire search to no avail. The goddamn Uchiha might as well bury himself.

"This is crazy" I began massaging my sore legs, stretching them over the place as I sat there on the chair. "Where the hell did you hide yourself, bastard" Just as I was stretching my legs, someone who seemed not to notice them passed. I knew I should help him but instead I laughed— very virtuous of me— when he fell FLAT on his face. Humor had me, it almost killed me. But when I recognized who he was, I almost really died.

Gaara stood up and when he did, he practically stood five inches taller that he was evidently gazing down at me with enigmatic eyes, so strange I could not comprehend if he's angry or what.

"Hey,uhm, are you alright? D-Did I hurt you?" I rushed close enough in case he was in dire need of support. Just great. When I couldn't even find Sasuke, here was Gaara.

"I—" he stammered while staring ahead and holding his head, "I need to go the hospital"

My eyes were in saucers in horror "H-Hospital? Are you that badly hurt? I mean— … oh kami, don't joke around! You've got me, ok! You've goddamn terrified me!"

But he wasn't joking. His face neither showed he was in pain nor he was alright and it was goddamn hard to choose whether I would just run like hell or just drop dead. His face was just indifferent and that didn't clarify anything. He began massaging the back of his neck as he said, as casual as hell, "I reckon my neck's broken"

Oh, God "B-Broken?!" Suddenly, there was a lump on my throat. Suddenly, I wished I had a brain tumor and would breathe my last breath five second later. I tried to stop breathing so as to help death claim me but the image of Gaara rubbing his neck suffocated me back to reality.

_This is fucking crazy,_ I thought to myself as Gaara suddenly appeared tired, forgetting he always looked tired, and descended down on the chair I previously occupied. I couched beside his sitting figure "Y-You want me to get you any— anything even your last will, I'll be gladly doing"

Gaara spoke softly and I realized I was intimidated "Yah, a pillow. Get me upstairs"

"But I can't go upstairs!" I exclaimed, forgetting he had broken his neck. I composed myself and addressed him more softly remembering it now "You know I can't. Sasuke forbade his guests—"

"Hey, hey I got my neck broken. You think Sasuke would rather have me dead than ban some of his damn guest" Gaara said rather slowly. I think he would break down any moment "Anyway, I'm giving you my regard so go get it" He said the last words sluggishly, almost slurred.

"Okay, okay. I'll get you a pillow. Just hang in there, will you? Don't die for heaven's sake!" His slight nod of affirmation was left unnoticed as I rushed away.

Actually, Sasuke banned guest to go upstairs because all sordid lewd things were happening there. It was the forsaken haven of sexual activities of him and his group and he doesn't want news roaming around on Monday about him having it or that he had let him and his group out of control— which was really happening. But right now it seemed if there would be news on Monday at school, it would be about Sabaku Gaara and his broken neck; Yamanaka Ino and her fucking leg.

"Why me?" I muttered as I ascended up the stairs

When I was already on the upper floor, I walked straight in the hall. It was dark since no light was turned on. Adjacent doors were situated on the wall leading to separate rooms. I knocked on the first door on my right. No one replied back. I went on the next room. Nothing. Again, to the next room. On the fourth door, I decided not to knock. There were very mundane sounds coming from the other side of the door that I dare touch the knob.

I went to another room, three doors away from the last one. This time, as my knuckles connected, the door silently creaked into a small opening. I resisted all my might not to peep inside.

Inside, I found two persons. _No three, _I realized as my eyes darted to the third person standing in the middle. Pink-haired. _Sakura, no doubt._ As my eyes scanned the room, I found the other two persons sitting on the edge of the bed. It only took me 5 seconds to distinguish them in the dim light.

Karin was sort of arguing about something while looking almost as if crying. She was having a fight with Sakura. Suigetsu, who sat beside her, evidently was taking side favoring Karin. Sakura was talking back. Statements I couldn't catch exchanged between them. Anyway, I don't give a damn. Only one word ran like amok in my mind.

_Why Suigetsu and Karin? _

I was standing outside, lonely and cold suddenly. _Why not him and me??_ I wanted to jump in the scene, make them realize I was out there listening. I wanted them to know my presence wasn't down there partying in the damn celebration; I was out there behind the door. In a split of second, everything I wanted to do flash in my mind. I would emerge in the room. I would stand in the middle. Everyone would freeze. Everyone would be dumbstruck. Suigetsu would be staring. I would be staring just the same. Then in 5 minutes, I would state publicly all about his liaisons and bullshits in front of my audience— Karin and Sakura.

I was too happy to think of all these. I was about to walk in when out of the darkness of the hall, a hand appeared and clamped my mouth. His strong arms dragged me away from that momentous spot.

xxxxxxxxx.

I was plagued by doubt.

Uchiha Sasuke sat on the edge of his double-canopied bed. His bare chest was smooth; his boxers tight around his thigh. His hair was messy because he "just goddamn woke up" as he quoted.

Earlier he told me he suddenly felt sleepy so he slipped out from the party— FYI: his party. He woke up in hormone craze so he decided to call up his fuck buddy, Sakura. But when he was in the hall, he saw me and decided to have me for the night instead.

"You're goddamn lucky I found you on my way" he said in a tone that almost compared me to a lost puppy found across the pavement. I was standing in the middle of the room looking as tense as ever.

"You know we have all the time in the world but will you just undress now. My body's already itching"

This is crazy, fucking crazy. I wasn't here to be molested by this sex maniac. I was here to feign love and admiration, try to tickle him on his feet and win his ugly heart.

Sasuke tapped the bed motioning me to sit beside him "Okay, I can just do it in the process. Just get here, will you. For Christ's sake, why the fuck are you agitated anyway?" So I thought it wasn't evident. So I thought I was only thinking it. Now I realized I was indeed shaking in front of him.

I sat on the bed as composed as I could be. But when his hand snaked up on my back, I was lost— no composure at all. My skin tingled against his insinuating caress on my nape. He pulled me closer and closed the gap between us. For the first time, I received a real kiss. And in case of Sasuke, a real torrid kiss. I pulled away but his arm behind me would only allow a small distance where I could still feel his breath "Whoa Sasuke, take it slow"

"Sure, baby" he whispered and kissed me on my neck.

The sensation was and I was more surprised than pleased. He continued touching me, southward. He had managed to pull me down on the bed, with him on top, without my awareness of it. His long fingers held my shoulder and he was kissing me down on my lips with such force I thought it was bleeding. The weight of his body began going up and down rhythmically. He raised his head expecting satisfaction flushed over my face. I was compelled to give a satisfied look as part of my pretense but I failed. And it was because at the moment Sasuke got me on the better light, there was this gradual transition of his countenance from initial seductive to impassive, to puzzled, then finally to fury.

"You! You're not Temari."

"Of course, I'm not, you rat!" The insult was shot. He stared. I stammered, "R-Rat, you're zodiac sign, right?"

Sasuke pulled away and stood up. He picked up his discarded clothes from the couch and commenced dressing "I can't believe I took the wrong girl" He stopped and turned to look behind his shoulder "You planned this, didn't you? Only an obsessed cocksucker would have gone this far, you whore"

My inability to speak made him think it really was my intention to rape him. Rape him when he was the one molesting me. I was too astounded by the accusation I couldn't mumble a word. For only 5 seconds, he called me names I would not allow anyone to call me right in my face. I swear, he'll pay the price of this. But not now, not now.

Sasuke was finished dressing and he was walking toward the door. I ran ahead of him and blocked the goddamn door "I didn't plan it Sasuke-kun, I swear" _I_ reminded myself to puke later at the expense of calling the bastard _Sasuke-kun._

"So you didn't, huh. Lemme' tell you one thing: If I tell you you're a whore, you're a whore your whole life"

I glared at him. I was really angry, almost beyond wrath. But this was one-shot. I could not let opportunity pass away and be damned forever. For some reason beyond apprehension, I managed to cool my wrath as I came to a final decision. I'll play a goddamn whore if that's how he wanted things to be.

"Okay, so I did plan it. But at least, let me explain. You see, I'm more than in-love with you. And maybe you're right, I'm obsessed. But it's not right that you only see girls like Sakura and Temari. You don't even know I exist. You don't even glimpse my way. Every night I dream that tomorrow will bring us together. It didn't. So now I'm making my presence in front of you. And I'm telling you now, I love you Sasuke-kun. I'll do everything to win your heart"

Sasuke stared. He just stared. The blind motherfucker just stared. He wasn't even touched by my theatrical speech.

I continued, "Uhm, and you see, I know everything about you. And it seems we've got many things in common. And in our family too, we've got lots of similarity—"

"You don't give a fuck about my family!"

I was surprised I shut up.

Silence. Sasuke walked back in the bed and slept, his back turned to me, "Leave now"

Silence. I might have touched a sensitive topic. A very sensitive topic, in Sasuke's case. I decided to drop the subject but was determined not to give up the whole conversation already. I said, "Oh, yes, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Yamanaka Ino"

"Who give a fuck about your ugly name?"

"Hey!" I snapped "My name ain't ugly" though I must admit, it is.

He was still feigning sleep, his back turned upon me. I could have stabbed on it a dagger, I swear. But suddenly he spoke and I was out of that bloody scheme "I already told you to leave, didn't I?"

"I heard you all right but I thought you didn't mean it"

Sasuke finally turned to me. He stared. I stared back.

"I assure you and your young ass that I mean it. But if you still insist, well then, fine. Just stay" He said then jumped out of the bed. Sasuke moved to the window overlooking the parking lot. Outside, I heard engines starting. I made a discreet look at my watch. Past twelve ."Looks like everyone's already leaving. Thankfully, here's a girl who would not" His smirk was evident in the divine moonlight casted from the window where he leaned "You know what, I'll truly appreciate it if you stay for the night but needless to say, you said you would not leave"

I smiled back at him. He approached this large cooler situated on the corner of the room and made a devil act of turning it full blast. I felt the instant change of temperature beneath my cocktail dress. 3

Sasuke returned to his bed, "Night, Yagami-san"

_You bastard. You rat. You— _"It's Yamanaka, not Yagami"

"And before I forgot, you can sleep in the couch or on the floor— whichever struck your fancy" He pulled the thick blanket all over him and descended to slumber while I tried to analyze how to survive the peril of the night without thinking of murdering him in cold blood.

* * *

"Hhhggeyy, Lllllaaadhyy"

Indistinct voices. I was hearing indistinct voices around me.

"Hhhggeyy Lllllaaadhyy, wheeeykkk uuuppp…."

_Open your eyes, Ino. Open your eyes._

Daylight struck my eyes. I turned my head away and rubbed my still persisting to close eyes.

"Hey lady, wake up. The sun's already high"

"Where am I?" I looked around, my mind deranged. The room was so unfamiliar "Where am I?" I repeated.

The lad told me about the part yesterday and I recalled everything. I looked at him and realized he was the same waiter I spoke with in the party. He told me the service crew remained to clean the mess.

Everything was clear now. But something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. I woke up in bed, which shouldn't be because I could clearly remember I slept in the couch. "by any 

chance, do you know how come I'm in the bed" Suddenly, I found myself assuming. I found myself hoping _he _did this.

"Oh, he carried you there. That was like four hours ago"

_That guy?_ My heart was beating fast "You don't mean Uchiha Sasuke, do you?"

"But that's exactly him"

A tint of pink washed over my face. _Uchiha Sasuke did that?_ _Why?_ Suddenly, I felt I could really fall in love with him. No pretense. Sasuke after all was a caring guy, if not a gentleman.

Unknowingly, I was smiling. But the waiter disrupted me.

He straightened picking something discarded from the floor, "By any chance, is this yours?"The waiter held up a very familiar looking cocktail dress and a very familiar looking brassiere.

I was having a funny feeling that I was naked beneath the blanket. I peeped under the cover.

**O.M.G.W.T.F**

"**SASUKEEEEEE!!"**

xxxxxxxxx.

"Achoo!" Sasuke rubbed his nose and sniffed. 5 pairs of eyes turned to him. Sakura and Kin were on his either side. Neji and Shino were on the other side of the bed. Gaara was lying on the bed. They were inside a VIP room where the auburn-haired lad was advised to stay for another day.

"Caught a cold yesterday" Sasuke said dismissing the stares.

"You suddenly disappeared from your party and caught a cold. Where did you go?" Neji asked.

Sasuke chuckled, "You wouldn't believe me. But I went to bed and took the wrong girl with me. And she turned out to be an ugly girl with a disfigured body"

Sakura pouted who was still disappointed she didn't find the room where Sasuke was that night, "Then you should have looked for me"

"Well, taking you then would have tormented Sasuke. It would have been traumatic for Sasuke, can't you see?" Kin laughed as Sakura shot her a cold stare.

"Maybe she wasn't that bad, Sasuke" Gaara said.

Sasuke turned to him, "No, she's actually that bad. I swear"

Shino said, "So how about you Gaara? You disappeared from the party then suddenly appeared in the hospital" Everyone in the room laughed.

But Gaara was passive and he replied casually, "I tripped and broke something"

"You tripped?"Sasuke laughed, "Then I guess you were looking at a girl instead of your way"

Gaara closed his eyes, suddenly looking tired "Yeah, maybe"

"So Sasuke, tell me, who's this girl you mistakenly took?" Sakura asked. She already decided to make that girl's life a living hell the moment she knows her name.

"Yamato? Yagami? I forgot. Why care anyway? I told you she's ugly. That makes it definite"

"Maybe she wasn't that bad, Sasuke" Gaara stated again.

Sasuke just smirked as he pictured the girl back in the room where he left her.

* * *


	5. Love vs attraction

SOS

Chapter V.

"So I thought you hate the Uchiha. How come you're at his party?" Naruto asked as he fell into step beside me on my way to the locker the next morning. I replied that my presence there was not an individual will, on which Naruto pondered on. It was enough to get rid of him.

It was Monday morning. As part of school routine, I went to my locker. As soon as I reached the place I thought I smelled something funny. I ignored the crazy idea of someone putting roses inside my locker, since it smelled exactly like roses. But surprisingly enough, when I opened my locker, there really was a bouquet of roses lying wonderfully inside.

I looked around, vigilant of any scheming persona. Finding none, I picked the bouquet of roses and marched toward the nearest trash bin.

"Don't," someone spoke imperative enough to sound commanding. I found Gaara on my back who I dreaded suddenly appeared.

There was no evidence that he had just gone out from the hospital. Nor did he appear as someone who had severed his neck. "You'll get him pissed off," he said. He was late though. The flowers had slipped off my grip.

Things were happening real fast, too quick that I forgot to inquire about his injury. With his back presently turned to me, as he was already sauntering away, I saw the white patch on his nape which was hidden from my sight earlier. Naruto, along with Kiba, was back at my side. "Was that Gaara?" Naruto asked. I told him he was right.

"I swear that guy's spooky. I was all alone inside the C.R when in the next second, he was there next to me. Boy, I didn't even see him cross the door" Kiba told.

Naruto passed him a sardonic look "Well, if it isn't the clearest sign of a blind idiot."

Kiba gave him a hard, but as he stated "playful", jab on the rib. Naruto arched from the side ache. He tried to punch him which the former successfully dodged. And before they knew it, they were there brawling right in front of me.

As my cousin and second-cousin tried to throw each other, I realized what a bunch of morons I have for my kinship. I gave a last look at the discarded roses then walked away

-

"Bouquet of roses?" Tenten had to control her escalating voice, "Suigetsu, gave you a bouquet of roses? I would have better believe it if he gave you rolls of tissue papers

Hinata spoke and asked me why I think it was Suigetsu who had done it. I told them he was the only one who knew the combination code besides me "It's only logical that Suigetsu did it" I said. Tenten laughed. Some people laugh to remind you how your boyfriend just cheated on you and the hell he loves you still.

"B-But Sasuke-kun might have done it too" Hinata said.

"Sasuke" I chocked at the last two syllables of his name. I laughed. Tenten and Hinata exchanged looks. I had already told them incidents at the party, the accident with Gaara and the misperception that led me to Sasuke's room. I had told them everything except the detail that I woke up the next morning naked on his bed. Such matters are left untold for secrecy.

We were occupying a table on the corner of the canteen. It was noontime and students came flocking in. When I happened to glimpse at the entrance, I saw the clique entering. But oddly enough, Sasuke came walking in last among his friends— a transition almost unbelievable for Sasuke loves limelight. As they passed, students gave their alternating hi's and hello's at them. The group returned the acknowledgement with the same greets, affectionate slaps on the back for acquaintances, and kiss incentive for some lucky girls.

"Sasuke is really _so_ handsome" Tenten whispered to us. I almost nodded.

I must admit I am attracted to him. But attraction is different from love. And deep down inside, I still love that bastard cheating boyfriend of mine. Presently, Sasuke is just my abstraction from an unrequited love.

After parading inside the cafeteria, they finally occupied a table. The morons didn't even go there to eat; no, they went there for the hell of showing themselves. Sasuke slid on his seat and, with a dumb face, fixed a stare at some boring plants outside. He was unusually silent. Later, I realized the dumb face was actually a baffled face instigated by a certain girl who threw the first flowers he ever gave. Oh well, I didn't know it back then. He should have written his ugly name.

"Oh, look at Sasuke-kun, doesn't he look gloomy today?" I overheard a girl from a nearby table. The group she belonged to sympathized that they even decided to offer prayer for him.

"No, man, Sasuke did not take Sakura in his room" Another conversation caught my attention.

"Impossible! I overheard Sasuke proclaim it today"

"He's just being defensive for the sheer bravado" _Sheer bravado, yes that's exactly the phrase_, I thought "Just imagine, one helluva lucky girl, and that's not the pink-haired shit-girl. Gotta be blond this time, I reckon"

The blood in my face drained as he accidentally caught me glimpsing. The two boys who had that conversation stared at each other then laughed. I was suddenly agitated. I got up and excused myself leaving Hinata and Tenten both puzzled at my unexpected run off.

Some things are hard to remember.

I was on the rooftop when the door creaked open. I didn't remember whether I was sitting on the railings or leaning by it. I didn't remember if my right hand was tucked inside my pocket or down at my side. I hurled pebble moments ago but I'm not _so_ sure now if I really did hurl it. Maybe I kicked it.

And all it takes to forget was to see an Uchiha stepping on the damn rooftop.

"Finished staring?" Sasuke asked after I was evidently staring. Sasuke approached me. I was leaning by the railings and was suddenly remembering things. He stopped in front of me, kicked my legs apart (which until now I dread to know the implication), then leaned, "What a royal pain," he whispered "in the ass"

I was fumed and I spontaneously punched—mind you, not slap— him. He caught my stupid fist and I wished he should have at least tried to dodge to save my female dignity.

I tried to look apocalyptic, mystified, apologetic, and then remorseful at the account of the dreadful (but actually deliberate) deed but my word preference failed me, "Whoa, Sasuke! I tried to punch you!"

"I'm not blind not to noticee" Sasuke exasperated, his eyes flashing in obvious anger which instantly was dissolved by some unknown force.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I got this disorder where I involuntarily move limbs"

"I can't blame you if idiocy and lunacy are your natural disposition. But don't take your madness for granted. I don't believe the fucking excuse"

I said I don't blame him if he didn't believe me "But at least believe that I love you" I began the sensational speech, "You don't know how happy I was when you took me in your room. I even thought I was prepared to die. But now you just feel so strange as if that night didn't happen!"

"It didn't" Sasuke said sharply. Beneath the charming look, I found his superiority disturbing. He said, "Listen, Yagami, I don't—"

"Yamanaka," I felt the necessity to instantly correct him.

Either he didn't want to be corrected or interrupted, I didn't know, but he glared at me as if it was suicidal to do that on a second attempt "Listen, Yamanaka, I don't give a fuck if you feel like dying tonight but if you start spreading details of that night—"

"I promise I will not!" I cut sharply.

Boy, did he glare at me. He said he could not find Sakura that night. He said it was my pure luck that he thought I was Temari. And that if he had known it was _me, _he probably would have picked his maid instead. After he said that, the bastard decided it was high time for him to leave. He was walking away as easily as he had taken me in his room. And I was here, all alone here, staring at his back wishing I could stab him and pull out his spine. Despite the odious feeling, I knew the instant he steps out, my chance of redemption will fade away. In my desperation, I held his free arm. It was a precautionary step that appeared more of a deliberate deed rather than a spontaneous act.

Sasuke was looking down at me. I was looking up at him. "Please don't go. I want you here"

Kami, I didn't know how it set Sasuke _on._ He had his hand on the door when suddenly— all suddenly— he banged it close. The way it slammed on its frame gave me a start. I was nervous and was already shaking when he pushed me to the nearest wall, his face moving close to mine.

His hand was making its way underneath my shirt. The way his fingers crawled under my bare skin was making me a stranger of my own body. I flushed as he fondled me, the explosion of feeling too ephemeral to remember yet too strong to forget. Then he kissed me, his weight transferring to me as he leaned.

I clutched on his shirt, my nails digging on his chest. To my surprise, Sasuke suddenly jerked off me almost causing him to stumble back. It was so impulsive you would think he had an antbite. When he gained his posture, he stared at me with such skeptical eyes as if I just did something so _unworldly _to him_._

Between us, I couldn't believe I was the first who managed to speak, "I-I think I'll go eat first"

He just let me pass over him. I descended down the stairs still wondering what just happened.

Alone on the rooftop, Sasuke lay on the floor while staring at the clouded sky then he slept when he knew it was time for his afternoon class.

Few months later, he told me how I actually gripped on his nipple.

-

I was pacing back and forth inside my room. I stopped and turned to Tenten. She was sitting on the edge of my bed reading on some of my scrapbooks. "Do I look like a maid?" I asked her.

"Nah, you don't" She said in a tone of catechismal response.

"But," I began fuming again "That Uchiha made it seem as if I am the ugliest. What does he think of himself, huh? He doesn't even pass my standards. He's so stupid he can't remember a surname. He doesn't even tuck his hair behind his stupid ears to make himself look half-decent. No, he never does that. He's a dork. He's as dork as a crawling worm and thrice as insensitive as a planaria"

"Planaria? Why? Is he cross-eyed at times?"

"Does he need to be cross-eyed?" I stared at Tenten with my absurd rationale "I-I mean when he compared me to a fucking maid, do I need a fucking broom?" I was adamant, at all level of irrationality, to compare Sasuke to a planaria.

"Well, don't ask me for Christ's sake. I'm neither a planaria nor a maid!"

"I'm not saying you're a—"

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was on the table near my bed, near Tenten so I asked her to pick it up for me. "Hello?"

Seconds later, I realized who was on the other line.

"Oh hello, Sasuke-kun!" Tenten said in an exaggerated merriness.

I gave Tenten a hundred of hints. But she seemed oblivious of them all as she handed the cursed phone to me.

"It's really nice of you to even fetch me... Hey, cute shirt! Where'd you got it?" Sasuke was wearing a plain white shirt. He didn't bother to reply. He probably realized I was lying or that his shirt was too fucking _plain white shirt_ to be called anything but cute. Partnered with torn jeans, he looked as if he had just trespassed some slum area. Maybe I should have said convenient or flexible or eco-friendly instead of cute.

He was driving smoothly in one hand, his other hand resting by the windowpane. Inside the car, we both looked as if we were so bored to death and so cursed to be together that time.

The car pulled over. The bastard didn't even wait for me to step out the car. He just passed over the passenger seat, where I was, and went inside a french restaurant. The guard wouldn't even let me pass that was until Sasuke looked behind his shoulder and said, "She's with me," the bastard.

We were ushered to a table— center table, if only I had taken notice of that detail. He ordered our foods. I was hungry since I failed to eat during lunchtime. So it was kind of crazy that I said I was full. It defeats the whole purpose of him inviting me to the dinner which compelled him to announce once again how "lunacy and idiocy" came all so natural together in me.

The truth was that I could not read the words on the menu card since they were written in foreign letters. And I chose to die out of hunger than to reveal my incompetence in front of Sasuke. He still ordered food for me though, and I almost kissed the floor he did.

"Sasuke-kun, you said you couldn't find Sakura-san that night. If you were really looking for her, you wouldn't be just in your room" I began talking in the middle of our dinnner.

Sasuke stopped eating, "What are you trying to pull at?"

With that, I asked openly "Do you really like Sakura that much?"

"Not much. But I do" The answer was uttered quickly.

I was not prepared for that reply. I was expecting he would say he was simply fucking around with Sakura. I looked down on my laps. "Why did you suddenly invited me to a dinner?"

"Because you wanted to be with me you said" And he reminded me of the afternoon's event at the rooftop. I blushed remembering it. Dinner continued.

When we were finished, Sasuke pushed a small silver box over the table. I was surprised. I asked him if I could open it already. "Can't you do anything better than asking me every fucking minute?" I took that as a yes.

I opened the box and found a pair of glittering green studs. I thanked him sincerely. I tried the earrings on. That was probably how excited I was over the little things. "By the way, why emeralds?"

He was standing up from his seat "Reminds me of someone" then the moron walked off.

_You son of a bitch giving me something to remind you of another girl! _I almost spat at his face but he was already leaving for the door.

I followed Sasuke outside. When I got inside the car, Sasuke was already there "Enjoyed the night, Yagami?"

"Yes," I said "And it's Yamanaka"

The bastard smirked, a teasing smile. Mentally, I was already constructing a clear and full account of Sasuke's being a true asshole for that night to tell with my friends by tomorrow when suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a pair exiting the same restaurant we just dined in. I thought I had them mistaken

Suigetsu and Karin.

I was silent.

Inside the car, Sasuke was no less displeasing. He said something about my damn hairstyle. I replied something monosyllabic, a back-ass "yeah" if I remember right. Boy, didn't he know his hair was shittier. After the subject about our goddamn hair was tackled, we were caught in silence again. We were silent, too damn silent.

Then half-way the drive, I suddenly felt like saying something to Sasuke. I turned to him. He was staring straight at the road just like earlier, his arm resting by the windowpane while the other manipulated the wheel. I called his name. He turned to me.

"Do you mind if I hold your hand?"

He stared then took my hand.

There was no logical basis why he granted my obvious wish as there was no logical reason why I asked him that. Maybe because it was, after all, part of the scheme so I could get close to him.

Or maybe because I was feeling lonely all of a sudden.


	6. Upsurge of emotion

**SOS**

**VI.**

"I did not find you yesterday, Sasuke-kun. I doubt you even watched the competition. Where were you?" Sakura asked.

Yesterday was a day of noise-making, drum rolling and groovy dancing. That day, Konoha High was the venue for the annual high-school cheering competition in the vicinity. I was one of the hundreds of spectators that swarmed in the gymnasium to watch how ten schools compete. Our school was fifth to perform. As drums rolled and students roared "Go, go, Konoha!" red and black cladded dancers emerged from the back stage. It was led by no other than Haruno Sakura. She was wearing the traditional costume: plated mini-skirt and a red backless top that could kill. They executed their winning routine amidst the drowning yells and roars.

How could I possibly win Sasuke over her? She was a cheer squad captain while I was only one of her spectators in the bleachers.

Sasuke opened his locker while the pink-haired girl posed beside him. While he took books, Sakura caressed his shoulders. Her colored glossy fingernails were designed to tickle the male skin. It was an insinuating touch that was sure to send a let's-do-it-tonight message.

I was at my locker and since I was just 30 lockers away, I could hear and see them. I was neither accompanied by Hinata nor Tenten and if in case Sasuke suddenly took notice of me, I did not know where to get moral support. Thus, I prayed that he be blinded by Sakura's charms.

"I did watch, Sakura" Sasuke replied apathetically. I could pretty tell he did not put any heart in his answer.

"Then you ought to know what number they performed" Both Sasuke and Sakura turned to the new arrival, Sabaku Gaara.

Sasuke threw a glare at the auburn-haired lad which Sakura did not notice. Gaara was with Sasuke when he decided to flee the gym right before the competition began. Sasuke smirked. _Thinking of dropping me right in front of her?_ "I lost count after the first one performed"

Gaara smirked wryly. So did Sasuke.

All of a sudden, I saw Gaara look pass both Sasuke and Sakura and then straight at me. I passed him a knowing look that meant don't-expose-me but he was dumb. He sure was dumb

"Oh, I finally saw you" Gaara said.

Practically, all of the students in the locker area turned towards me. Gaara was just too enthusiastic when he said oh-I-finally-blah-blah.

"You know him?" Sasuke asked. I could see behind his passive face the repressed expression of also recognizing me.

"I broke my neck because of her,"

"How dare you!" Sakura almost jumped on me when she heard Gaara. She would have clawed me with her sharp nails had I not staggered back. "Do you realize that you abandoned Gaara in a grave situation?"

Students around me began whispering. Oh, fuck. This sure was the worst case scenario for me. "I-I didn't exactly leave him. He asked me to bring him a pillow and so I went"

"You just complicated the story. In the end, you didn't return"

Her pink synthetic hair was getting to my nerves "Listen, I didn't return because—"

I was cut abruptly. Sasuke was throwing me a malignant stare.

The episode with Gaara and with Sasuke was linked. If I became reasonable now, I might slip and everyone would know I was the girl Sasuke brought in his bed. I would rather die than let that happen. But if I did not justify abandoning Gaara, he might be upset and tell about the letter. On the other hand, if I did tell about that night, who knows what Sasuke might do. In my mind, I remembered Sasuke saying _"… if you start spreading details of that night—"._

"W-Well, I didn't return because, you see, I was… unexpectedly… busy"

"Unexpectedly busy?!" Oh, the bitch! I could kill Haruno Sakura right now "And what is this petty thing that makes you busy enough as to make you forget that you have a responsibility to attend to, huh?"

"I…" I stammered.

Sakura's eyes were glued on me. So was Gaara's. So was half of the population of the school who happened to crowd there.

"I-I c-can't say it"

Everyone looked at me intensely.

"I-I mean I prefer to keep my privacy"

"Huh, I could pretty tell by the way you speak that you did something nasty"

Everyone began whispering. Sakura sneered.

I glared at her "Hey, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Don't feign innocence. It doesn't suit you. It's apparent that you were…" She gave me a dirty look from head to toe before she continued "fucking someone that night"

There was an exclamation of "What!" and "Oh!" from the crowd and few jerks cried "shame!". I turned red like beet in fury. How could this bitch say it out loud when she was the one known in public as Sasuke's fuck buddy?

"Now, I said it. Be thankful I disclosed it for you. You are spared from explaining it to Gaara." As if it was not enough, Sakura came up with a more sinister strike "Well, why don't drag the name of this boy. C'mon tell us his name. A misfortune shared by two is better, don't you agree?"

"I didn't do such a thing!"

"Oh, maybe like you, he's a low-life scumbag. C'mon now, don't be embarrassed. Tell us his name fast"

A crowd has formed around me. They began chanting "tell us, tell us" in a beat as fast as my frenzy heartbeat.

If I could neither be reasonable nor tell the truth, I decided it was best to simply walk out. Let them think that I did such thing. It won't harm, anyway. And so with my head still held high and my hands bolted on my side, I marched out the sneering crowd. Their sneering faces would haunt me for a week.

xxx

I did not attend the rest of my morning classes. Instead, I locked myself in the washroom. I thought everything would be fine. But as soon as I arrived in the room and everyone began whispering, I knew the situation was too much to handle. Why was I subjected in such torment? It was because of Suigetsu that this chain of mishaps took place. And yet why can't I hate the bastard?

"Jerk," I sobbed and brushed a tear with the back of my hand "Stupid, stupid jerk"

I turned on the faucet and washed my face. Then I looked at the mirror. My eyes were red, swelling and stupid. Actually, my whole face looked stupid "Crazy motherfucker. I hate you jerks" I could not stop cursing. I was cursing no one in particular. I guess it was a catharsis for me.

I picked up my discarded bag from the floor. It felt light. It contained nothing since I obtained nothing from my locker. I even forgot my lunchbox inside it. "Oh, God" I wailed long in frustration.

Finally, I had the courage to unlock myself in the washroom. I felt no less terrible. This was not the end of the world yet and life must go on unfortunately. I was cautious as I walked along the hallway so that no one would see me and turn me down to the detention office. Skipping class was a crime you should never consider. But it was inevitable given my circumstances. I glimpsed at my wristwatch. It pointed 1:25 and I still have to wait until 2-o-clock for the next class to begin.

Fortunately during my wandering around the campus, I had met no one along the way. But all things come to an end. I was going up the third flight of staircase in the fire-exit, when I caught sight of someone whose back was on me. When he heard my steps, he turned around.

Sasuke did not speak. Of course, he would not speak. What would he have to say anyway?

"Oh, hi!" I said gleefully. He did not return the greeting and he almost dismissed me. He turned back again as soon as I was finished saying hi at him. I fought back the feeling of ripping his head.

I approached him and leaned on the railing close to him. "Don't get close" He said fast and nasty.

If he just knew my effort in executing this scheme, he would have never done that. Did he not know how hard it was to shift from an I-want-to-die mode to I-love-you-Sasuke-bastard mode? I'm so fucked up. After all this pretense was done, I would throw a feast.

"Why don't you wash your face? It looks shitty"

"I already did that"

"Then go away. I don't want to see your face every now and then"

This moron definitely did not know how to pick mild words. How many girls had he made cry because of that nasty disposition?

"Sasuke-san, about this morning…"

"You expect me to be grateful of you?"

"No, you got me wrong"

"I owe you nothing"

"I know"

"Then go away"

"I just want to apologize"

Sasuke looked at me.

"For hurting Gaara, that's what I mean. He's your best friend, right?"

"He's not"

"But you two are the closest in your group"

"How would you know that? Are you a stalker?"

"Oh, no, no"

"We're not even friends. Don't you know there is an open competition between us?"

"Really?" I was somewhat surprised at that. I really did not know it.

Sasuke was surprised that I was surprised "What's the big deal?"

"Oh, nothing" I said "It's just that I like him second to you"

I have picked up my words carefully and measured them. I was trying to see if something would snap out of Sasuke. His reaction would mean a lot to me. I knew it was too bold and early. But I could not wait any longer. If I could prove that somehow he felt something about me, regardless of what and how little it was, then I could carry on with this torment and stigma.

What he replied was something that was hard to interpret "To tell you the truth, I think you two would be great together"

I just looked at him and he looked away.

"Gaara is a crazy bastard, you know"

"How could you say that to a friend?"

"I told you he's not my friend!" He practically yelled "Tell another damn thing and I'll kill you"

Suddenly, he went climbing up the stair and I was compelled to follow him so he could hear my improvised _sincere_ apology.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-san" I said but it came muffled and indistinct because it was hard to speak when you were out of breath. Sasuke was climbing up the stairs amazingly fast. When I finally caught up with him, I held on his arms to impede his movement. But he did something I would never forgive him. He pushed me so harsh that I lost balance and almost went stumbling down a flight of stairs. I just slipped four or five steps. My back throbbed as I held on the railing.

For a moment, we just looked at one another. Finally, Sasuke raked back his hair and clicked his tongue. "Now that will teach you a lesson. Be a nagger again and I'll kill you next time for sure" He did not appear sorry. He never was.

I was anticipating that he would turn around and walk away. But surprisingly, he was hooked on the spot neither moving nor staring at me. The funny thing was that I could still not stop pretending even when I just almost died. I could not even glare at him and call him bastard for the ungentlemanly deed. I swore I would equal the score later.

I fixed my composure and took a deep breath.

"Your girlfriend, Haruno Sakura, is spreading rumors."

Sasuke just sneered. Here I was serious and he just sneered "No one gives a damn because she's fucking beautiful and I, Uchiha Sasuke, am his goddamn boyfriend"

I felt degraded. I glared at him. This time, I had no room for concealing the irritation I felt.

"Don't get angry now, Ino. There's a touch of truth in the rumor, right?"

I turned pale.

"You were actually a great participant while you were asleep. I wonder what's more if you're conscious and awake"

Until now, my memory of that scene was still vague. What I remember most was pulling back my hand and –snap- my palm hit his face. When I looked at him, he was already looking at me with incomprehensible eyes.

Later, he told me he did not sleep that night. He never openly admitted how sorry he was. He was a shy, stupid guy.


	7. Ex and sex

I've got to apologize for the century-old updates. I'm not good in keeping readers hooked firstly because of the sluggish updates. I can't believe this story is already two-years old yet I'm still in chapter seven. This story has been too complicated and will be more complicated after this chapter. The good thing is that I have managed to weave the storyline after months of chapter delay. I plan to make the story no more than fifteen chapters. I thank everyone who has been supporting this story until now.

**SOS**

**VII.**

I was not too keen to wake up the day after I slapped Uchiha Sasuke but the rain outside my window woke me up extra early. The catastrophe that awaits me to school combined with the supposedly drowsy power of the weather should have enabled me to return to sleep. It did the opposite and so for two hours I lie awake thinking how Sasuke would retaliate later that day_._ What made me more anxious was that my mind could not imagine my own demise. What would Sasuke do to me? Tie me up a tree and let ants march down my body like in the medieval days? That would be very dramatic… and tragic.

I took a bath and ate right after. The last thing I prepare every morning is my bag. I went to my room and gathered my books and notes. I dashed out but returned five seconds later when I remembered that I forgot something. I grabbed my phone on the lamp table and noticed an unread message was flashed on its screen.

_From: unregistered number_

_Can we talk before class starts? My car is parked in the faculty department. It's the only red car there. _

_-Gaara_

I was shocked. Why would he want to meet up? Better yet, what good would it bring me if we meet up? The way his message was constructed implied that he was not that adamant about the meeting. But still I owe him. He did not see me at fault for his neck injury. At least that's how it appeared to me or he would have been crossed at me when we met yesterday. I might at least show some appreciation by yielding to his request of meeting him.

Thus, I was thankful that I woke up early. I arrived at school and it seemed the place was deserted. That was a good thing if I have to meet with Gaara. With yesterday's commission about his neck injury, the last thing I needed was nosy students. I ran to the back of the building where the faculty department was constructed. Running in the morning made me forget about Uchiha Sasuke. But not so long.

-

I arrived at the parking lot panting from running. Gaara was leaning on the bumper of his red car. He had his eyes closed and looked like someone having the hell of a time in choosing between good and evil. Knocking him off the trance seemed impossible.

"Morning," I greeted. His eyes opened. "So why do you wanna meet up?"

"I'd like to help you" Gaara said. I creased a brow in confusion. As far as I remember, I had never asked for any sort of aid that would have elicited such response from him. He crossed his arms. "with Sasuke, I mean"

I stared wide eye at him. Gaara was amused at my expression. I would have savored that moment and took out my camera phone had I known that Sabaku Gaara had never been amused at something for years. I was speechless and he found that an opportunity to speak again.

"You're the one who sent the letter to Sasuke. No girl has thought about that"

Although I have guessed long before that he knew something about it, I was still shocked at this outright disclosure. At the same time, I was relieved. Gaara knew I sent the letter for the wrong reason; He thought I sent it to catch Sasuke's attention. He did not know that that letter was sent by mistake and I was just pretending to like Sasuke. Either way, I decided not to disclose the whole truth. I might as well deprive the truth from him as it might serve me well in the future.

After I have gathered my thoughts, I asked "Why would you help me?"

"Why not?"

He stepped forward.

I gave him a weak punch on the shoulder to hinder him from advancing. "What are you doing?"

It was easy for him to have his arm circling my waist. His head advanced to the side of my neck. Sensitive to the auburn locks that began tickling my skin there, I unhooked myself from him. My mind registered the fact that he was going to give me a kiss. It repeated in my mind like a loop and got me stepping back from him. A gap formed between us as we stared at each other for the longest time. If actions speak louder than words, I did not want to take his recent action as the answer to my previous question.

My heart began beating wildly. I was supposed to have the upper hand but I was losing control. Feeling my heart pumping in frenzy against my chest worsened the situation. I did not want him to know that he almost had me there. Almost. During that short intimate moment, I realized how hot he was. I mean he was _hot _as Sasuke was in a different way. It was dangerous.

"Students are coming." Gaara said "Let's go".

He led the way back to the campus and not knowing what to make of the situation, I simply followed him in silence.

-

"Ino, are you alright?" Tenten asked when she arrived. I was the earliest student in our room and she was wondering what devil possessed me. With my cousins Naruto and Kiba infamous for never coming never late, it was so natural for them to think the same about me.

"Most of the time, I'm punctual" I said.

"I mean about what happened yesterday, Ino"

"Oh," I clicked my tongue. Yesterday's event was like a century ago after I slapped Sasuke. Nothing consumed my mind right after I slapped him. I totally forgot about what a bitch Sakura had been toward me "I'm fine"

"You missed four classes." Hinata said.

"I'll try five next" I teased her.

She smiled at me which felt strange because my life was not worth smiling at. I had put myself in a grave position firstly because I just wrecked our plan. I was supposed to make Sasuke fall in love but look what I did. I was supposed to worship the land he trudge on and pretend to love him like no other god but look how I slapped him like no other bastard.

I was contesting whether I should tell them about it. Tenten conceived the plan. Every progress into getting close to Sasuke was all thanks to her. She had the right to know it especially when I just blew everything. But if I told them about it, I also have to disclose about how I woke up naked in Sasuke's bed. I was afraid of what they might think of me especially that I had kept it a secret for so long.

Another thing I was contesting to tell them was about Gaara. To help me with Sasuke because he has taken fancy of me, which I was not sure yet, was totally wrong and I knew for sure it would lead to some ugly contingencies. In the end, I decided not to tell it too since I was not sure about Gaara yet.

The second thing that put me in a grave position was Haruno Sakura. What would ensue from our clash yesterday? She was the mother of all bitch, the bitchiest of all them. To have her as your enemy was to have a constant bitch bitching every seconds of your life. I knew it because that's how the life of those girls competing against her love interests and academic life turned out. She's the terrific bitch.

The third thing that put me in a grave position was yet to come— Suigetsu.

I was untangling my hair. I was almost in the campus when the rain began falling again. My hair got all these tangles when I ran under the rain. I felt for my brush inside my bag and discovered that I had left it back in my room.

"Hey, Hinata can I borrow your brush?"

"Sure, but I think you should, uhm, hurry up"

I looked at her. "Why?"

"Somebody's here for you"

Hinata was looking at the backdoor. I followed her stare. Since I was in the second to the last row, all I had to do was turn my head sideway and I would be looking straight at the backdoor. My heart skipped when I saw Suigetsu outside. For seconds, we just looked at each other.

I got up on my feet and went outside. Suigetsu stepped away from the backdoor and leaned on the wall outside our room. He was a real bum. A funny look was expressed on his face. I swear he always looked so damn amused it made me go insane.

"How's life lately, huh?" His feet shifted.

"Fine until I saw your shitty face" Suddenly, I had this huge desire to slap him across the face. He might have sensed it because he raised his hands in defense and spoke immediately.

"Hey, hey, I just wanna check on you after I've heard about yesterday. What's wrong with you?"

Now, I really did slap him and he raised his hands higher so I won't reach his goddamn face "I'll tell you what; you cheated on me so fuck off before I shoot your ass"

"You paranoid pig. I never cheated."

"Oh, yeah? Tell that to me and Karin"

"Tell that to me and Sasuke"

I looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Gotcha" His smile grew wider. His teeth revealed. His feet shifted again. "You won't admit it 'til I say his name, huh" He told me that he saw me and Sasuke dining in a restaurant. I remembered that day when I saw him with Karin stepping out the same restaurant Sasuke and I went to.

"You don't have any idea about me and _him_" I gritted my teeth. "How about you? It's as if I haven't dropped the name 'Karin'?"

He tossed his phone at me and I caught it in air.

"Call her"

I did not know where this would lead us but because Asuma-sensei would be coming any moment I obliged to his prodding. Before I dialed her number, I swore one thing to him; this better be not bullshit or I'll shoot him between his fucking eyes. After three rings, somebody answered.

"Hello. Hello! Who the hell are you? Where's Suigetsu? Hand the phone to him. I'll bleed that bastard's ear!" After some more swearing of how she would kill the bastard, I looked at Suigestsu. He looked back at me grinning like a little devil.

Xxx

Suigetsu had to repeat his freshman year because of a delinquency case. Before he repeated, he had made friends. One of his rare female friends was Karin. The first time they saw each other after months was when I saw them in the mall. Suigetsu had told her that the reason she did not have a boyfriend yet was because she acted brusquely. According to Suigetsu, Karin was offended and tried to prove him wrong by being playful with her kiss. That was the moment I saw them.

Suigetsu further teased her by bragging how he would be an effective help if she needed. He was just fooling around but Karin took it and would leave him not until he lived up to his word as an 'effective help' in pursuing this one guy. As it turned out, Karin was pretty hooked up with someone— someone unattainable in the name of Uchiha Sasuke.

"What?!" Hinata and Tenten looked at me in disbelief.

Kurenai-sensei failed to come during the fourth period and for some reason, the sub failed to come too. I made the vacant time useful by telling them the story.

"Why haven't he cleared it right away?"

"You know Suigetsu is no romantic guy. If I avoided him for weeks, even for months, he would not mind it. He would not ask for me. He would not call me. How the hell would he know something is already wrong in our relationship?"

Days dragged. Since Suigetsu had no one to spend his time with, he had finally obliged to help Karin. His brilliant idea led them to stalk Sasuke in a restaurant. That was the day Sasuke and I went to a date. He said he was so shock to see me with him and that when Karin asked him if the girl was Sasuke's girlfriend, he could not reply right away. He ended up saying maybe. He was helping Karin with Sasuke and here was his girlfriend cheating right in front of them. So Suigetsu took it that I was cheating on him. He could not tell it to Karin that I was his girlfriend; that would have hit right on his male pride.

"You're dumb, both of you, I swear"

"But that proves he loves me. He broke his silence when he realized I'm in dilemma"

"Congrats then. You figured out he loves you. I didn't know this was just all for a test of love."

It was a short-lived happiness thanks to my friend Tenten.

"Does Suigetsu know about the letter?" Hinata asked.

A long pause dwelt among us three.

"No" Tenten and Hinata eyed me. "I told him I thought he was cheating on me. I thought we were officially off. That gave me reason to date other guys like Sasuke. I did not mention about the letter"

Hinata opened her mouth then closed it. She decided not to be frank for our friendship's sake. Tenten was another case. She uttered what Hinata could not speak about.

"Oh, Ino, look at you. You're the one who's cheating now."

Xxx

After that letter incident, dismissal at Konoha High had never been this fun. Although I had a little dispute with Tenten after she accused me of cheating, I still found it more peaceful than any other days. Kiba and Tenten were teasing Hinata to Naruto. Suigetsu and I were walking behind the four of them. We had decided to reconcile since it was just a case of misinterpretation and miscommunication and also, since we still love each other.

"God knows what that fucker can do to any female specie" Suigetsu said. I told him that Sasuke and I dated only once and that was the end of it. If every girl pursued Sasuke because of his charms, every boy hated him for his charms because they knew what a man-whore it had developed Sasuke into. After some thinking, Suigetsu added. "You never did anything, you know, kiss and stuff with him?"

I caught Tenten glimpsing at me. She was silently listening to our conversation.

"Never," I replied to Suigetsu.

The locker area was crowded when we went there. Suigetsu left my side to have his things. His locker was away from us. Naruto and Kiba also had their lockers away from us. Tenten, Hinata and I were left alone.

"You should have waited 'til we finished the plan. With you and Suigetsu back together, you seemed to me as if you're cheating. It sucks." Tenten said.

"Suigetsu can wait if he truly loves you" Hinata said although she was not capable of getting angry at me. She was too kind-hearted for that.

"I'm the one who can't wait…" I whispered and the two pretended not to hear it.

Hinata accidentally dropped her notebook and I picked it up for her. When I stood up and handed it to her, she appeared as if life has drained out of her body. She looked pass me with frantic eyes. "Sasuke's over there. I-I think he's looking for someone."

"I think it's you he's looking for. Guess our plan is still on" Tenten said as she looked at him. She could easily do that for she had nothing to hide from Sasuke. I tried to hide myself from his sight. Tenten and Hinata were puzzled. They did not know that Sasuke was looking for me for a different reason and that it was definitely not because our plan was working well. He was looking for me to kill me.

"Why are you hiding, Ino?" Hinata asked for I was evidently shielding my face with the locker door.

"What the hell? You're supposed to get his attention and not hide. You better not tell me it's because you and Suigetsu are back together" Tenten said as she pulled me away from my locker. I said it was not the reason. I was not just feeling well disposed for it. Tenten was adamant "I dunno why he's looking for you but we better not waste the opportunity"

"Not today, Tenten"

"What's wrong with today?"

"I just slapped him yesterday" I finally confessed.

"You what?!"

"I said I just—" I was supposed to confess the whole truth but Hinata cut in.

"Gaara's walking our way" Hinata's voice quavered. I had to stop from talking and look. For a split second, my mind was caught in a daze. My stomach churned as a muddle of emotions surfaced in front of me. Had this been an ordinary case, I would have been delighted to have three boys in my life. But mine was no ordinary. These three boys needed to be appropriated at once… or they would kill me.

From a peripheral view, I caught sight of Suigetsu returning from his locker. With Gaara approaching us, it would not be long before Sasuke came too. "Oh, fuck. Get Suigetsu away from here, please" I told Tenten and Hinata.

"I won't help you to cheat" Tenten said at once.

"Tenten, let's just do it this once." Hinata said sensing that this could turn out to be an ugly scene if the three meet.

"Please, Tenten" I looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Oh, great. This better be not regular" Tenten said as she and Hinata strolled away. When I turned back, I saw Gaara was almost near. He was walking a straight path and it was not inevitable given that the students were dodging his way. Having a distinct red hair made him a tough guy to barge with.

"Hey," Gaara greeted.

Once I heard his voice, my heart began beating irregularly. Gaara stirred the hell out of me.

"H-Hi,"

He was looking at me. "What?"

"Why are you shaking?"

I realized I was indeed shaking all over. I told him the truth. "You make me nervous"

"Because I tried to kiss you this morning?"

Oh. My. God. He did not have to say that with these students around us. The damage was done. Everyone around me began whispering. I opened my mouth but closed it again. I had nothing to say after the revelation was unveiled. He was right after all.

Behind Gaara, I saw Hyuga Neji approaching us. "Why'd you left us behind, Gaara?" Neji said when he reached us. When he saw me, he put his arms in Gaara's shoulder. "Hey, I'm beginning to think that your neck injury is no accident. I bet you've been playful with her. She's the same girl, right?" Neji gave me an over-all look which made me very uncomfortable.

"Who's the same girl?" Shino asked who had also reached us by then. He arrived with Uchiha Sasuke whom I dared not look at the face. I was cowardly rooted on my spot as I looked at his well-ironed uniform. As a conversation among the boys commenced in front of me, the memory of slapping Sasuke flashed repeatedly in my head.

"I was asking her if she would go for a date" I heard Gaara say to Neji which knocked me off my musing.

I eyed him. "Hey, what are you talking about?"

Behind us, I heard Tenten and Hinata return with whom I dreaded were with Suigetsu. I heard his voice asking Tenten what was happening which confirmed that Suigetsu indeed was with them. I heard Tenten not replying. For some reason, they failed to stop him from coming in the scene and for that I wanted to die. With Suigetsu among the many students who began watching, the anxiety would be just enough to kill me.

"You didn't ask me for a date" I nudged Gaara on the rib and he chuckled softly. Oh, the bastard. The people around us thought it was cute. I thought it was horrible.

"No need to be shy about it" Neji chuckled too.

I pulled Gaara close and whispered to him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, please. Save your PDA later when we're gone" Shino said. I immediately moved away from Gaara.

Neji spoke again. "Okay. Okay. I get it. We'll leave you and your precious girl. Let's go, Sasuke. Sasuke?"

I did not know where I dug that courage to look up at his face. Sasuke was scrutinizing me with revulsion in his eyes. My heart which moments ago had returned to regular beats was again skipping like a horse in a race track. I thought I was going to have a breakdown. He was staring at me in such a fashion that made me want to run away.

"You're worse than I thought" Sasuke finally spoke as he stepped forward with his hands clenched into a fist. This was that demise I could not imagine; Sasuke beating me up. "You… I thought I could forgive you after yesterday. I'll make it quits!"

I stood still in horror. Gaara stepped between me and Sasuke.

"I don't know what happened between you two but you might as well respect her while I'm here"

I could feel the tension in the locker area choking me. I did not want things to turn out this way. Gaara was making my life more horrible. And he should have known better than to make a bold act in the campus with Sasuke. Everyone was watching us, Suigetsu included. Oh, the horror!

Sasuke took a step closer. Gaara did not move.

"Move away"

"Make me"

Silence ensued. The longer the silence dwelt between Sasuke and Gaara, the greater the tension that built.

"I know what you're doing. Stop it"

Gaara did not reply. The corner of his lips curved into a smile.

"You can't have her" Sasuke's jaws tensed in aggravation "She's already mine"

"I don't see a label"

"Why not find one when you undress him on your date tonight?"

"You're ridiculous," Gaara took me in the arm and dragged me away from the scene. We had no more three steps when I was pulled back on the other arm by Sasuke.

"Tell to that cocky bastard I'm telling the truth" Sasuke shook me violently.

I did not know what he was talking about and I certainly did not want to ask a frustrated Uchiha Sasuke.

"Tell him!"

"You're scaring her, Sasuke"

"Tell him we hooked up on my party"

At first everyone was looking at Sasuke. Now, everyone was looking at me. I could hear Tenten cuss and Hinata pray to God.

"Liar," Gaara finally got me away from Sasuke. It was easy to notice that Sasuke allowed it after he had announced our hook-up.

"I-It's not true" I managed to speak for my goddamn sake. "I-I just slept with him" To say that was the biggest mistake in my life. It was worse than writing that cursed letter.

Sasuke smirked.

Gaara paused.

Everyone blanched.

"Sleep is as bad as having sex, you know" Shino said.

I was a dead meat then.


	8. After school visit

SOS

To soothe his wrath before he discovers she was the anonymous letter-sender, Ino pretends to be head-over-heels in love with Sasuke. With the help of Sasuke's campus rival, Gaara, and the return of her true love, Suigetsu, will Ino finally iron out the mess?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

My apologies for the year-long wait. There's no better way to apologize than to update, right? Here's a nice treat for you all— a +5,800 words long chapter!

VIII.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ino's kidding, right?" From behind, I heard Suigetsu say to Hinata and Tenten. Neither of the two replied. I could not face them. My feet were hooked on the floor. I could not speak. Suddenly, there was a big lump in my throat.

While I pretended not to hear Suigetsu, Sasuke made it evident that he heard Suigetsu. He looked pass me and straight into Suigetsu's eyes. He did not know Suigetsu but he figured out that he was a friend of mine since he was with Hinata and Tenten.

"_Ino_'s not kidding," then he turned to Gaara "And the night you got injured, _Ino_ was with me" As if we had grown closer in the last five minutes, Sasuke decided to use my name twice in short statements.

I regained my composure. Too bad, it was late.

"This is a misunderstanding"

"Which part?" Sasuke tapped his chin questioningly "The one which I said about you sleeping with me or the one which you just admitted on, well, sleeping with me?"

You could see the disbelief that dawned on the face of the students. They had one thing running in their mind; it was all due to Uchiha Sasuke that I abandoned a one neck-injured Sabaku Gaara. One by one, the students began to weave the story. Slowly, the actual events of that _night _were unraveled.

"_So Sakura was not the lucky girl that night"_

"_And that was why she said to Sakura that she was 'unexpectedly busy' that night"_

"_She was 'unexpectedly busy' with Sasuke-kun. Damn, she's lucky"_

"_Who's she, anyway?"_

"_That's Ino"_

There was a buzz around me now. Sasuke looked at Gaara, a triumphant smile curved on his lips. Without saying another word, he turned and walked away followed by his friends. Before Shino left, he looked at me "Sorry, I guess" he did not mean it, of course. If more, he sounded like he enjoyed giving color to what might have been just a blunt dismissal time.

"Ino," Hinata called me softly. Her voice was in stark contrast with the murmuring students. When I turned, Suigetsu was no longer with Hinata and Tenten. He had left before anyone.

"Why didn't you tell us about it?" Tenten said, her voice quavering. Her hands were intact on her side. This was the angry Tenten. Tears swelled at the corner of her eyes but they never fall, not in front of me. She turned her back.

I knew how she felt. Suppressing the truth is not exactly lying, but the effect is almost the same. I betrayed their trust and I marred our friendship. She walked away followed by Hinata who was quite hesitant in leaving my side. Hinata looked back with sorrowful eyes but she knew it was best to stay away. I did not blame her.

Back in the hallway, Gaara was the only one left from the crowd. I turned to him with angry eyes. _It was his fault!_ He was the one who provoked Sasuke. Gaara might have read my mind so he spoke before I could have.

"Isn't this what you always wanted?" Gaara asked, "You caught Sasuke's attention. Wish granted"

I stood there, stultified, and then my eyes narrowed in blinding realization.

"You planned this?"

"I didn't expect you to announce that you slept with Sasuke. That helped a lot though"

Suddenly, I was so angry I grabbed him by the collar. Gaara allowed me to shove him against the window. The last streak of orange sunlight drenched his skin. His red hair turned bloodier. The effect made him look tougher and it was ironic how he would allow himself be pushed by a girl. He could have swiftly gotten away from my hold.

"What a brilliant idea, Gaara. Turn Yamanaka Ino into a public ridicule. She'll definitely catch Sasuke's eyes. _Thanks a lot!_" I was so sick to the core I did not notice how Gaara eyed me intently "Don't ever attempt to help me again, Sabaku Gaara. I mean that"

"What's the matter with you?" His innocence struck me.

"Oh boy, you are unbelievable"

"No, _you_ are unbelievable_. _Sasuke just had a spat with his closest friend because of you and you're not satisfied with that? What else do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stop interfering. For God's sake, stop involving yourself!"

"I'm already involved with you"

A cave-like silence dwelled between us. The moment was so fragile I dare not speak. My lower jaw hung and slowly, I closed my lips. I was unaware when Gaara untangled my fingers from his collar. From the corner of my eyes now, I watched him smooth out the wrinkles of his front shirt.

_Damn, _I thought, _when did this all start?_

The rays of sunset which made him look tougher few minutes ago now gave him soft touches. Suddenly, all my thoughts were about Gaara. The sun-drenched arms. The crumpled front shirt. The faint smell of cologne. That we were the only students in the hallway became more obvious. The thought that he may attempt to kiss me did not help too. His back was against the wall but the way he stared at me made me wonder how it feels like to be between the wall and Sabaku Gaara.

_Oh great, Ino!_ _Just the right idea to pop in your head!_

Gaara noticed the growing blush on my face.

"Are you thinking of Sasuke while I just admitted on liking you?"

How Gaara mistook the object of my blushing made me blush more. Seriously, his innocence drives me nuts.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Why put me in such situation in such unholy time? Three boys, _three boys, _at the same time! How do you see me handling them, God? I groaned under the blanket and shifted on my bed for the thousanth time.

First was Uchiha Sasuke, the guy whom I hate but whom I had to pretend to like to save my throat. Then came his friend Sabaku Gaara, offering help but inwardly offering more than that. And Suigetsu? He had to return to my life when it was most unnecessary. But how do you shun the guy you truly love? With no pretense and under no condition, I love the bastard.

What was it that brought me to this point? It was my false assumption of Suigetsu. I thought he was cheating on me.

Looking back now, a sudden realization hit me between the eyes. I was now the cheater! Isn't that the first thing that I hated about Uchiha Sasuke? Isn't that the cause of my break-up with Suigetsu? And now will I be cheating with Gaara?

And did I not just establish myself as a cheater in front of everyone in school today? Everyone now knew that I was with Sasuke and Gaara at different times during Sasuke's birthday.

And what of Hinata and Tenten? Do they think of me as a cheater as well?

A chill ran down my spine and I brace myself. _I am no cheater!_ I need to be assured that I am not _one. _But whom would I get those comforting words? I grabbed my phone from the tabletop and thought of calling someone. Not Tenten. I can almost hear her saying how I betrayed our lifelong friendship. Not Gaara. He gives me more headache than actual help. Not Suigetsu. I knew he will just drop the phone as soon as he hears me on the other line. Not Sasuke. He will—

_He will what? _

I browsed my phonebook and stopped on the entry _Uchiha Sasuke. _I stared. What would be his reaction if I call him? Suddenly, I remembered what Gaara said.

_Sasuke just had a spat with his closest friend because of you and you're not satisfied with that?_

Could it be true that I was the first girl Sasuke fought over with Gaara? _Oh, and did Gaara deliberately angered Sasuke to show that... that Sasuke has a feeling for me? _I caught my reflection on the wall mirror.

_But even if that was true, it doesn't mean that Sasuke likes me, right? Or does it?_

I shook my head._ What am I thinking?_

However frustrating it was to admit, I knew that if Gaara was not involved Sasuke's reaction would have been different. It would have been a totally different scenario. Dismissal time that afternoon would be me with my friends passing by Sasuke surrounded by his buddies, him not batting an eye to my direction, him flirting around with Sakura or someone among her league. He will not acknowledge my presence in any way. He will not drop one hint that we had spent a night together.

I returned my phone to the table and covered myself with the blanket.

_I will not call Sasuke. I will sleep and will not call Uchiha Sasuke. I will never call Sasuke and I will sleep right now. I will never, ever— _

All throughout my chanting, my hand snaked to the table top to grab the phone back.

I pulled the phone under the blanket and dialed Sasuke's number.

Oh my god, what am I thinking? _**Ring!**_ Why am I calling the bastard? _**Ring!**_ He should be the one doing the calling, not me. _**Ring! **_Didn't I just tell myself I will not call him? _**Ring! **_What will I say—?

"_Hello?"_

At the sound of Sasuke's voice, I dropped the call instantaneously.

"Oh my god, what have I done?" It was so moronic. It was so dumb. I can almost see Sasuke raising a brow while looking on the screen of his phone. I looked at the clock. I could not believe it was already past 2-o-clock! No wonder his voice sounded grumpy. He sounded like I just woke him up!

"Stupid, stupid, stu—"

I was yet again stopped by my chanting when the phone started ringing. I was so terrified I buried it under the pillow and just stared and stared and stared. When the ringing stopped, I sighed in relief. I did not even realize that I had held my breath.

To my horror, the phone started ringing again. Without thinking, I removed the battery from the back and forced myself to sleep.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morning came and I was sluggish. It was already 4am when I was able to sleep. When I woke at my alarm's ringing at 6am, I had to literally drag myself to the bathroom. I would have skipped class that day had I not remembered that I had received a verbal warning regarding my attendance. Oh, boy, this will be the longest day ever….

— and the strangest.

It started during the morning assembly. We lined up in the auditorium and listened to the principal talking about the coming periodical test. Because I was very sleepy, I could not help but doze. I was just unconscious for a minute or two when I snapped back to reality. When I looked around to check if anyone found out that I have doze off, I saw half of the population staring at me. I felt like shrinking on the spot.

It was a _difficult_ task to stay awake in the first period. Kakashi was a _boring _teacher and he was teaching a very _boring _Biology class. Each minute, my head threatened to hang. Each minute, I jolted up in my seat. Each second, I yawned. Each second, I opened my eyes.

"Ino, are you alright?" Minako, the girl sitting on my right side, asked. She might have been peeved by my constant jolting and yawning.

"Y-Yeah," I rubbed my eyes, "I probably look worn out but I'm fine"

"You look worn out" Minako looked hesitant to continue "But still you're a beauty"

I stared at her and would have laughed. She sounded so genuine.

_Yeah, right. I did not have a good night sleep._ _I most probably did not hear her right._

"Anyway if you need something, you can always ask me" Minako smiled. She looked so happy to be of service to me in the future. I wonder what Tenten will say to this. I looked at her seat. She was reading a book. Not once did she look my way although I knew she felt the weight of my stare.

I sat straight on my chair. It was like some devil possessed that Minako girl. When did we become friends? I could not recall an instance when we have been _that_ friendly with each other. Softly, I dropped my head on the desk and tried not to be distracted by it. I was about to doze off when I heard two girls whispering.

"Did you see that?"

"What a hypocrite. Wasn't it just yesterday when Minako was talking trash about _her_?"

"Now she acts like they're best friends"

"Knowing her, her real intention is to get close to Sasuke, not to get close to _her_"

_Her _was definitely me, that I knew for certain. I looked back and saw the two whispering girls. They beamed at me, their lips stretching so forcefully that however genuine they wanted it to appear, it appeared 100-percent synthetic. I smiled back at them.

Before my head hit the desk again, I saw two or three guys looking at me. Had I not been that sleepy, I would have realized that they were _ogling _not simply looking. Had I not been already dozing, I would have heard one of their comments about how _hot_ I was and how the other two guys agreed.

The change in school had not yet dawned on me until later when I bumped into someone on my way to my third class.

"S-Sorry!"

I did not know her name but I recognized her as a classmate of my brother who was a senior student. She kept apologizing while picking up the books that I dropped. I told her that everything was fine. She handed my books and said, "Ino, please don't tell me to Sasuke or Gaara" She walked away so fast I hardly had the time to ask what she meant.

During an activity on my third period, we had to pick a partner. I looked around for a prospect partner and to my wonder everybody was looking back at me expectantly. For a moment I thought, does each one of them wish to be my partner? I shook my head. What an absurd thought!

I asked Himiko, the student nearest me, to be my partner. She looked _elated. _

"Everybody is so nice to me today, I wonder why" I said as Himiko and I worked together.

"What are you saying? Everybody is nice as they have always been"

"I mean nice in a weird way. Everybody will only be as nice as this if I'm in a dream. It's like I'm living in a dream. You know what I mean?"

"Sure I do"

I knew she did not understand me. After some silence, I continued.

"We haven't talked before, have we?"

"Nope which means that it's high time we befriend each other now, right?"

"Why not before?"

Himiko paused then blinked, "Well, you need an inclination such as this activity where we were paired"

"You want to be friend with me?"

"Definitely,"

"Why?"

"because you're nice" She smiled.

"and?"

"and you're approachable" Her forehead was wrinkled

"and?"

"you're beautiful"

"uh huh"

"and Gaara asked you out"

"I see"

"and Sasuke seemed to like you"

"hn"

"and the two most sought after guy in school fought over you!"

"…"

"and soon you'll be more popular than Sakura!"

_There we go_, I thought. I looked at Himiko who had clamped her hand over her mouth. She had spoken her mind out.

I looked around and realized what I had missed; I was no longer an ordinary student.

I did not know whether I should thank Sasuke and Gaara.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Suigetsu,"

He did not turn around.

"Suigetsu!"

He walked faster.

"SUIGETSU!"

He started running.

"**SUIGETSU!"**

I pulled his hair back. Suigetsu rubbed the sore part of his head where I yanked his hair. His downcast eyes thrown irritably at me.

"What is your problem?"

"I was calling you" I said with modulated voice. We were out in the street and to some bystanders, we looked like a typical couple having an argument over the most trivial stuff.

"You expect me to stop?" Suigetsu took a step forward "Is there no conscious part in your head telling you that maybe Suigestu doesn't want to talk to you?"

"Stop being a bitch, Suigestu"

"Why when you did not even stop yourself from cheating?"

The last thing I wanted to be accused of was cheating. Here I was being accused though. My lips quivered. I tightened my face "Hear me out, please"

"Don't burden yourself. I know everything I need to know. Dating Uchiha Sasuke while still having me? You're worse than the rest of those fan girls of him"

"You wanna know the truth? It was all for you. All for you, did you hear that?"

"What a farce," Suigetsu raised his arms in exasperation and walked away. He walked in big strides, hands in his pockets. I chased beside him.

"It started with that letter," I began as I followed him "I was supposed to give you that letter but it accidentally went to Sasuke's hands. Of course, you know what happened after that. Sasuke was infuriated and declared war to the anonymous letter sender. I was afraid and I— I pretended to like him to get away from it"

Suigetsu stopped. I almost bumped into him. He just stood there and looked at me for the longest time before he spoke. "Why do you have to invent this shit? The truth was you thought I was cheating on you so you decided to get even by going after Sasuke"

My lips trembled. Suigetsu was right

Although it was an accident that Sasuke got the letter, I did see the situation as a way to get back at Suigetsu. I even harbored hopes of having Sasuke as my boyfriend to make Suigetsu jealous. At the back of my mind, I knew I will not just stop on apologizing about the letter.

"Suigetsu," I rubbed away the tears that I had unconsciously shed "If I tell the truth to Sasuke, will you forgive me"

As if some deity was mocking me, it started to rain suddenly. Other people ran for shelter. I stayed on the spot waiting for Suigetsu's answer. He never answered the question and he simply walked away.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was resolved on telling the truth. Let Sasuke gnash his teeth in fury! I had lost my closest friends and Suigetsu. Certainly, there was nothing more to lose.

I decided that I will tell him everything as concise as I possible.

_Sasuke, I was the one who sent you the letter. It was by accident. It was meant for my boyfriend. I pretended to like you to appease you. I realized what a big mistake that was. I know you're mad. I know you are. But I just have to tell the truth. I'm sorry, Sasuke._

Who cares what Sasuke will do after that? I mean I had been ridiculed several times now. I had grown immune!

Duh. Who am I kidding? Life after that is an unimaginable calamity.

_Yamanaka Ino: The Life of the Campus Laughingstock Part II. _Damn, my life can be screenplayed. I can just imagine the post-apocalyptic setting.

Fuck. What am I saying? I should just go ahead and tell Sasuke.

As luck would have it though, Uchiha Sasuke did not go to school that day.

Later that day, I received a text message from Suigetsu. He wanted us to meet at 8pm. I was reading the message when I saw Shino walking alone. I stopped him in the corridor.

"Hey,"

He pretended not to hear me as I walked beside him. "Where's Sasuke?"

"He's not around"

_Dude, that is so fucking obvious._ I wanted to twist his head. I stopped following Shino as soon as I realized I cannot juice anything from him. I turned around and walked away when Shino called me back.

"Sasuke is sick"

Back in the classroom, I was too preoccupied to even bother listening to the teacher. I did not want another day to pass by without telling Sasuke the truth. I was determined that this will be the day. Anyway, I had enough time to confess to Sasuke before my meeting with Suigetsu. I can visit Sasuke at the guise of a _concerned _friend when in fact all I want to do is to take advantage of this handicapped situation of him while he is at it.

Sasuke being sick means Sasuke less violent. This is the best time! Sasuke may backlash at me afterwards but what can a bedridden Sasuke do to me? I just hope that he was as ill as that or else he will have the energy to exterminate life out of me.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I took a deep breath then rang the bell in the Uchiha mansion. In no time, a maid greeted me.

"Hi. I'm Yamanaka Ino. I'm, uhm, an acquaintance of Uchiha Sasuke. I heard he is sick so, uhm, you know, I decided to pay him a visit" I laughed a little. Oh boy, why am I feeling all panicky about this visit? The maid looked at me like I was some idiot. After a while, she ushered me inside the marvelous place.

The maid told me to wait in one of the spacious rooms. Perhaps it was called the piano room. It was mostly an empty space. A big white piano was situated in the middle of the room. The wall and the ceiling were flawless white. The floor was white marble. I sat on the long white couch at the end of the room.

When the door opened, I was expecting to see the maid. To my horror, it was a shirtless Uchiha Sasuke clad in cotton pajama. His hair was ruffled and you can see lines on his face, those lines marked by pillows. He looked like he just stepped out from bed but that was not the worst part.

He looked in perfect health.

_B-But he's supposed to be sick!_ I was so engrossed on the idea that he was so ill that I asked him the most stupid thing, "W-Why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here?" He asked leaning on the door, raising a brow, crossing his arms.

_Damn Shino, _that bastard might have been snickering now. _I was punked!_

Suddenly, I saw myself in no position to be in Sasuke's house. How I had dragged myself there was beyond my imagination. I realized I had not yet apologized for slapping him. Furthermore, it was still fresh in our minds about the fight between him and Gaara two days ago. To top it all, I called his phone at 2am without bothering to think that he might have been asleep. All of those things returned to me and it dawned to me that Sasuke had all the rights to kick me out of his house. Literally.

"Sasuke, do you have a visitor?"

We both looked at the newcomer. She had a long black hair and a radiant face that was always in smile. Everything about her looked motherly. Her eyes locked on me and I realized I was being scrutinized.

Then she looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, can't you be more decent in front of this beautiful lady?"

"Mom, I'm almost sure she's about to leave" Sasuke threw me a knowing glare.

"It's just a short visit, missus, and Sasuke's right I'm about to leave now" I stood up and picked my bag when I realized that it was nowhere to be found. I remembered that the maid took it. I can get it another time.

However, Sasuke's mom was quick. She was on my side before I knew it. She held me down on my shoulders. "Oh, dear, why not stay a little longer?"

"I can't"

"She can't"

Sasuke and I said in unison.

His mother looked from Sasuke to me then she chuckled softly, "Sasuke go upstairs and make yourself more presentable. Your friend and I will have a little chitchat for the mean time"

His mother took my arms and dragged me to another room. As we passed Sasuke, I dared not look at his face.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How long have you two been together?"

"Oh, no, no, you got it wrong"

"Oh, you don't have to hide it. Did you see Sasuke blush when you two spoke together? I never see him blush in front of any girl before. And I have seen him with _hundreds_ of girls before, mind you"

_Blush?_ I was certain that it was out of spite that Sasuke's face colored a little.

"So what is it that you liked most about my Sasuke?"

Sasuke's mother looked so excited. She reminded me of that time when I told my mom how I like Suigetsu. My mother looked so excited just like Sasuke's mom. I mentally struggled about telling the truth. If I was here to confess to Sasuke, I might as well tell Sasuke's mom the truth.

"The truth is I don't like Sasuke"

It pained me to see the smile fade from her face. It broke my heart but I had already started. I cannot back out.

"To be exact, I hate Sasuke"

I remembered the first time I noticed Uchiha Sasuke. Back then, Sasuke was flirting with Kin under the shade of the tree.

"He breaks everybody's heart. He doesn't care if he hurts them. He'll flirt with one girl then to another one then to another one."

I remembered how scared I was when Sasuke declared war over the anonymous letter sender. I remembered how he beat Akado Yoroi into a bloody pulp.

"And if you resent him, he'll make sure that you'll regret resenting him. It's like you don't have the right to hate him when in fact he's making a good role of being a villain"

I remembered how Sasuke mistook me for Temari. I remembered how he called me a schemer, a cocksucker and a whore. It made me teary-eyed recalling that time.

"He will call you names without even blinking. He doesn't consider feelings of others. He puts his own above others"

My head slumped on the kitchen table. I cried over my folded arms. I did not even realize it but I was shaking all over.

"There, I have said it. I know you will hate me but I just have to say it," I said between sobs. I collected myself and sat up. I noticed that neither of us touched the strawberry cake that she unwrapped on the table "Of course, you will not believe me because you're his mother. I don't blame you. All parents think their child is a given angel"

Sasuke's mother passed me a Kleenex across the table. I took it and blew my nose.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be,"

I looked at her. It was weird but I could tell she was amused instead of outraged

"I knew it. The moment I set my eyes on you, I knew you were the one for my Sasuke"

"Pardon me?" I could not help but think that all those times, I was just speaking in my mind. I mean it looked like she did not even hear a word that I said.

"Oh, dear, I have to call daddy to make some arrangements. Oh, and also Itachi! I have to inform him about this. I'm so excited about this, oh, how wonderful!"

Suddenly, you could hear strong footsteps approaching. Sasuke appeared on the door. You could see plain frustration across his face. "Mom, where's she?"

Upon entering the room, Sasuke was hugged by his mom who had been jumping in joy.

"Oh, Sasuke, you don't know how happy you have made mommy today. If you just have told me about her, I would have taken an earlier flight"

"Mom, what are you saying?" Sasuke asked as he looked from her to me. He glared at me, as usual, which I have grown numb of.

"Can you believe that she did not even mention a single word about how handsome you are? She's the real thing!"

That was not the effect I wanted! Oh my God, I stood up from my seat abruptly. My knees hit the table underneath. The sound alarmed Sasuke's mother and she broke off from Sasuke. She was quick on my side asking where it hurt.

Sasuke took me away from his mom.

"Mom, she has to leave now. I'll accompany her home"

"Oh, stay as late as you want, Sasuke. I don't mind"

Oh, great. I now know where Sasuke inherited his madness.

Sasuke dragged me away from his excited mother. As we left the room, I could already hear her talking to 'daddy' on the phone. Sasuke did not say a word to me. He pushed me inside the passenger seat of his car then went to the driver's seat.

We were already on the main road when Sasuke spoke to me, "What did you say to my mom?"

"Nothing," I whispered then thought of all those things that I told her. However courageous I was then, I could not bring myself to tell the exact words to Sasuke now that I was alone with him. He would drain all the blood out of my veins.

"Nothing? She wouldn't have been that excited,"

_I just told your mom what a jackass she has for a son._

I looked away from him. I took advantage of the fact that both of his hands were on the wheels where they cannot find its way to strangle me. I stayed farthest from him. Suddenly, I remembered something. Suigetsu and I were supposed to meet at 8pm. I felt my phone in my pocket. Where was it?

"Sasuke, I left my bag in your house"

"I'll be damned if I allow you to return there"

"But my bag!"

"I'll hand it tomorrow"

"But my phone is in my bag"

"I'll lend mine"

"It's not _my_ phone"

"What's so special about _your_ phone? I bet it doesn't have a 3G"

"I need to contact my mom" I lied, "It's very important and I don't know her number"

Sasuke sighed. He pulled over the road then he asked me to lean, his body touching mine as he opened the passenger door for me, "Wait me in that shop. I'll bring your bag"

I stepped out of the car then entered the café shop. As soon as the car was out of sight, I stepped out of the shop and ran to the meeting place. I have only less than five minutes. I cannot wait for Sasuke anymore.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath as I ran on the street. It was starting to rain again.

xXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


End file.
